Antony’s Man Utd redemption as he becomes La Liga’s No.2 winger

Antony is rebuilding his career at Real Betis after struggling to justify his hefty transfer fee at Manchester United, with new statistical analysis ranking him as La Liga’s second-best winger behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

According to a report by FootballTransfers on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, the Brazilian has become an important figure at Betis following his permanent departure from Old Trafford in 2025.

Manchester United signed Antony from Ajax for €95 million in the summer of 2022 under former manager Erik ten Hag.

However, the winger struggled to deliver consistently in England and was eventually sold to the Spanish club for approximately €22 million.

His move to Seville has proved beneficial. After initially joining on loan in January 2025, Antony scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists during his first full season with Betis, helping the club secure Champions League qualification.

Although the 26-year-old is yet to score in the 2026/27 campaign, his performances have continued to attract attention.

Antony has registered one assist in 720 minutes across 10 appearances this season. However, data from analytics firm SciSports suggests that his contribution extends beyond goals and assists.

The analysis highlights his dribbling ability, overlapping runs, forward passing accuracy and crossing as areas where he performs above the average for La Liga wingers.

His expected goals figure also suggests that he is regularly getting into positions from which he can threaten opposition defences, despite his current goal drought.

According to FootballTransfers, only Yamal has delivered a stronger overall performance among La Liga wingers so far this season, based on SciSports’ assessment.

Antony previously expressed dissatisfaction with his treatment at Manchester United. Speaking to ESPN Brasil last year, he said: “Look, I’m not the kind of guy who gets involved in controversies, who names people, in fact, I won’t mention anyone’s name here.

“But I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, even a bit of rudeness too, with no one giving you a good morning, a good afternoon.”

Ten Hag has also defended the winger’s ability, explaining in an interview with The Athletic that he needs trust and support from his manager to perform at his best.

While the precise reasons for Antony’s struggles at Manchester United remain debatable, his progress in Spain highlights the contrast between his difficult Premier League spell and his resurgence at Betis.

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