Manuel Pellegrini has spoken out on Antony’s performances at Real Betis so far after the former Manchester United winger made his permanent switch to the La Liga side.
Antony spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign out on loan after he fell further down the pecking order at Old Trafford under manager Ruben Amorim.
The 25-year-old Brazilian attacker sparked a career revival during his superb loan spell, with Antony becoming a key player for Manuel Pellegrini’s side last season.
Antony’s loan deal with La Liga outfit Real Betis expired at the end of June and the Brazil international made his return to Manchester United in the summer.
The former Ajax star waited patiently on the sidelines at Old Trafford and Antony sealed his permanent move to Betis on deadline day earlier this month.
Manuel Pellegrini reacts to Real Betis star Antony and the head coach makes his feelings clear on the former Man Utd winger
According to BBC Sport in September, Real Betis signed Antony from Manchester United for an initial transfer fee of £19.06m and agreed to £2.59m in add-ons.
It has been added that United included a hefty 50 per cent sell-on clause for Antony, with the Red Devils also not required to pay off the Brazilian winger in the deal.
Despite his impressive run of form for Betis during his loan last season, Antony has endured a slower start to life at the Villamarin in the 2025-26 La Liga campaign.
Manuel Pellegrini has backed the former Ajax ace and believes that Betis’ summer signing is impacted by his lack of training and first-team minutes on the pitch.
“I don’t have any concerns about him; he hasn’t played or trained for a long time,” he said, as per Goal.
“He’ll improve as the matches go by. He’s aware of the importance of improving, and we’re very happy with him in every way.”
How has former Man Utd star Antony performed so far for Real Betis in the 2025-26 La Liga season
Antony was frozen out of the United first team after his return from loan and the former Sao Paulo player did not feature on the pre-season tour in the summer.
The former United star’s late move to Betis also meant that Antony was unable to link up with his current teammates for their pre-season preparation under Pellegrini.
Antony has made two appearances for Betis in the 2025-26 season and Pellegrini has started the former Ajax winger in both La Liga matches.
The Betis star played the full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw against Levante before being hooked off in the 71st minute of his side’s 3-1 win over Real Sociedad.
Antony has not scored or picked up an assist in either performance against Levante or Real Sociedad, despite receiving Pellegrini’s public backing now.
