Manchester United's new goalkeeper signing delayed! Antony demands £4 million, Real Betis withdraws £25 million transfer offer

Manchester United originally intended to showcase their new goalkeeper Sene Lammers at Old Trafford before Saturday’s home game against Burnley. Yet, as every Red Devils supporter understands, the club’s transfer plans are bound to be delayed. Now, the 23-year-old Belgian keeper has to wait longer, with his €20 million transfer probably pushed to the summer window’s final moments.

Lammers will definitely not feature at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday but will have to sit back at the bargaining table once more. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported: “It is understood that Manchester United are preparing one last push to finalize the Lammers deal. Negotiations with Royal Antwerp will accelerate again over the weekend; the transfer is still ongoing.”

Manchester United have held multiple discussions with Lammers, but reaching a full agreement on personal terms has proven difficult, especially with new suitors entering the scene. According to the UK’s Telegraph, Galatasaray have also negotiated with Lammers’ agent, with talks held in Monaco this week to explore the possibility of a deal.

Lammers prefers joining Manchester United, but Galatasaray has offered better terms, so the agent’s request for United to increase their offer is understandable. Simon Stone from BBC stated that although rumors about Lammers joining Manchester United have lessened compared to last week, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening. United and Galatasaray are competing, and as with many transfers, certain factors still need to align to push the deal forward.

According to reports, Lammers has stopped training with Antwerp and will not participate in Saturday’s Belgian league match in Westerlo. It remains uncertain which club he will ultimately join, but he is expected to leave Antwerp. Manchester United have only three days left, while the Turkish league transfer deadline is September 12, giving Galatasaray some extra time if they choose to pursue the transfer.

Manchester United’s £100 million right winger Antony’s transfer has also been postponed. Embarrassingly for the Brazilian international, although the club initially accepted Real Betis’s offer, the Spanish side withdrew due to wage-sharing issues. “Athletic” revealed that on Friday, both clubs reached a principle agreement on Antony’s transfer fee, but disagreements over how to handle his multimillion-pound salary reduction caused uncertainty in the deal.

Betis have been trying all summer to bring Antony back to the team, and this week the matter has moved closer to a final resolution. Multiple sources from the UK and Spain confirmed that both sides have agreed on a permanent transfer deal worth €25 million (£21.6 million), plus €3 million in potential bonuses.

Additionally, the agreement stipulates that Manchester United will receive 50% of the profit from Antony’s future transfer. That means half of any amount exceeding €25 million will go to United. For example, if a club signs Antony for €40 million two years later, Betis profits €15 million, and Manchester United would get €7.5 million.

However, this transfer saga is far from over. Antony’s remaining two-year contract at Manchester United pays him £6 million annually, and moving to Betis requires a salary cut, resulting in a loss of about €4 million. He wants both clubs to cover this wage gap.

Betis are unhappy with this, arguing that Antony had already agreed to a pay cut to join them but now wants compensation. Consequently, they withdrew their offer. The club believes this is an issue for Manchester United and Antony to resolve, and they do not want to get involved. Betis sources say they consider the agreement canceled and invalid unless United and the player settle the wage dispute. Their official statement read: “Antony’s deal was not completed, and we have withdrawn the offer. We cannot pay the transfer fee and compensation simultaneously; for the transfer to happen, Manchester United must cover the compensation.”

In response, Manchester United hope Betis will resume negotiations and expect all parties, including the player, to reach an agreement so the transfer can be finalized before the window closes. Last season, Antony tearfully admitted before the Europa Conference League final that his time at United had drained his passion for football, leaving him unable to eat or sleep for days. After moving to Betis, he regained his form. He has cooperated with Betis all summer, hoping United would let him go, but the wage compensation demand has now jeopardized the transfer, causing an awkward situation.

On Friday, Manchester United officially announced a loan deal for academy player Louis Jackson, a 19-year-old Scottish central defender, who has joined National League side Solihull Moors on loan. Jackson joined the youth system at age 10, was part of the 2022 FA Youth Cup-winning team, and has made two appearances for the U21 squad.