Former Manchester United player Antony has revealed that he received an offer to join Liverpool before completing his switch to Old Trafford.
Antony struggled at Manchester United in England and eventually left the club to join Real Betis last year.
The player has previously claimed that he also turned down a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The 26-year-old Brazilian has been outstanding since joining the Spanish club, first on loan and then permanently.
The former Manchester United winger recorded 24 goal contributions last season, and he has been a key player for them. He has managed to get his career back on track with the move to Spain.
Antony had previously impressed for Dutch outfit Ajax, and he has claimed that Liverpool wanted to sign him after his performances in the Netherlands. The Brazilian attacker has claimed that the Liverpool manager at the time, Jurgen Klopp, wanted to sign the player to replace Mohamed Salah, who was negotiating a potential exit from the club. However, the Egyptian International ended up staying, and the player joined Manchester United.
“When I went to Manchester United, I had an offer from Liverpool, from Klopp, on the table. It was also very good. Salah was negotiating a move, but ended up staying. Then the manager called me. The name Manchester United carries weight,” he revealed to ESPN.
“When I left Manchester United, I even considered going back to Brazil. But my goal was always to stay in Europe. I hadn’t forgotten how to play football,” he said.
Liverpool will certainly be glad it did not work out, given how the Brazilian performed in the Premier League. In addition, they had quality wingers at their disposal, and Antony would have struggled for regular opportunities at Anfield.
The player is currently enjoying his football in Spain with Real Betis, and he will look to continue performing at a high level for them. He will be glad to put the Premier League nightmare behind him. Manchester United paid a lot of money for him during his time at Ajax, but he never managed to justify the investment. The price tag only brought more pressure on the player, and he could not showcase his true qualities at Old Trafford.