'Bring Antony back' - Man Utd legend urges Ruben Amorim to give Brazilian a second chance after impressive loan stint with Real Betis

Legendary former Manchester United goalkeeper Van Der Sar spoke about the club's transfer plans this summer and had a piece of advice for head coach Amorim, urging the Portuguese to consider giving Antony another lifeline at Old Trafford following his stunning six-month loan stint at Real Betis.

After being signed for a gigantic £85 million fee back in 2022, the former Ajax prodigy failed to justify his price tag and live up to the demands of the Premier League. Midway through last season, following the sacking of Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils appointed Amorim. However, Antony couldn't break into his starting XI and had to find an exit route, which he found in the form of Real Betis. In Spain, the winger thrived, scoring nine goals and delivering five assists in 26 games as he found his mojo back.

Despite his return to form and proving to be a real game-changer at the Benito Villamarin Stadium, the 25-year-old reportedly has no future at United. In fact, they are even ready to accept a huge loss on their initial £85m investment as they are ready to accept bids worth as low as £30m.

Van Der Sar recently provided his thoughts at an event, stating: "Luckily, I'm not in a position anymore to dictate at a club which kind of players have to come, but they're on the right track by signing a more experienced striker, maybe with another one on the way.

"The two players they signed in the winter break were good, so they should be fine if they give faith to the manager. "Maybe [Alejandro] Garnacho's going to go, I would say bring Antony back, but I'm not sure if that's realistic."

The Brazilian international's future remains up in the air. United are adamant that they do not want to bet on Antony for a second time, while Real Betis are desperate to find solutions to sign him ahead of next season, even if it's on loan again. Reports suggest that he has attracted interest from elsewhere, with Juventus considering a potential move. Bayer Leverkusen, who appointed Ten Hag as Xabi Alonso's successor, are also planning to reunite Antony with his former manager.