Manchester United winger Antony has admitted that he was “very close” to joining Liverpool before he made the move to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils paid an eye-watering £86m for the Brazilian in the summer of 2022, but he says he could have ended up at Anfield instead:

“It’s true, I was very close to signing with Liverpool, but nobody knows what would have happened. In the end, I went to Manchester United, I had great moments there and it was a good choice too.”

Antony is probably being diplomatic when saying it was a good decision to join Manchester United. After a bright start, he struggled to perform to the levels required, and he was loaned out to Real Betis during the January transfer window.

Liverpool dodged a bullet

Antony’s record at United does not make for good reading. As mentioned, his stats for his first season weren’t terrible. He scored 8 goals and provided 3 assists in 44 appearances.

Things went downhill from there, though. Over the past 18 months, the forward has played 54 games for the Red Devils, scoring just 4 times and contributing 2 assists.

Since leaving Old Trafford and joining Betis, his form has improved significantly, which has become a common theme for ex-United players.

Why was Antony a transfer target?

Mo Salah‘s future was in doubt heading into the 2022 summer transfer window, so it’s likely that the club were considering Antony as a potential replacement.

Ultimately, the Egyptian signed a new three-year contract worth £350,000 a week. It is assumed, therefore, that the Reds subsequently cooled their interest in Antony.

In hindsight, it seems like the Merseysiders made an excellent decision but, based on the player’s remarks, he could easily be plying his trade at Anfield if things had worked out differently.

Find out who is in Liverpool’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here