Ruben Amorim names Antony’s biggest weakness – but £82m Man Utd flop proving him wrong

Antony has rediscovered his form while on loan from Manchester United at Real Betis in Spain, scoring three and assisting two so far, despite being frozen out of Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim believes Antony struggled in the Premier League because of its “physicality” – as he admitted he is “so much better” in La Liga.

Antony has been a revelation since signing for Real Betis on loan last month, scoring three times and assisting twice.

His incredible form has led to question over why he had such a hard time adapting to life at Old Trafford since his £82m move from Ajax in 2022. The Brazilian only featured in 135 minutes of Premier League football under both Erik ten Hag and Amorim this season, scoring once in a League Cup match.

Now Amorim has spoken out about Antony’s difficulties with United, claiming that he struggled with the physical nature of England’s top flight.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports, he said: “When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there. If you don’t have physicality, you will struggle a lot.

“Antony is so much better now in Spain. It’s [because of] a lot of factors but I guarantee you it’s physicality.”

Antony’s Betis career continues to go from strength to strength after putting in yet another impressive performance as he played the full 90 minutes of the team’s 2-1 victory over La Liga reigning champions Real Madrid on Saturday.

The 25-year-old has admitted he is loving his time at Betis and has a “smile on his face again” having “found himself” under ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

“I’ve had a great time in Manchester too, I won two titles and I’m very grateful,’ he told AS.

“But when I say that I’ve found myself here, I’m happy, the people are like us in Brazil. The sun helps a lot. I’m very happy here. I wake up every day with a smile and that’s very important.

“I have a lot of friends who played here and they left me very calm so that I could sign here. I was sure in my heart that coming here was the best decision for me. I hope to continue like this.”

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