Antony's Liverpool Bid Revelation and Klopp's Call Amid Salah's Future
Antony’s Manchester United story has long been framed around one question: was he ever really worth the £82 million gamble? Now the Brazilian has added a twist of his own – he says he could just as easily have ended up on the other side of English football’s fiercest divide.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, the former United winger revealed that Liverpool, led by Jurgen Klopp, tabled a concrete offer for him in 2022 as they quietly braced for the possibility of life after Mohamed Salah.
At the time, Antony was one of Europe’s most coveted wide forwards, tearing through defences at Ajax under Erik ten Hag. United’s new manager wanted a familiar face to spearhead his rebuild at Old Trafford. He got his wish. But, according to Antony, he wasn’t the only one pushing hard.
“When I went to Manchester United, I had a proposal from Liverpool, from Klopp, on the table,” Antony said. “It was also very good. Salah was negotiating a departure, but he ended up staying. Then the manager called me. The name of Manchester United carries weight.”
The picture he paints is striking. Salah locked in contract talks. Liverpool, never sentimental in their planning, exploring the market for a potential successor. Antony, then 22 and on the rise, right in the middle of it.
Liverpool’s contingency plan never came to pass. Salah stayed. The Egyptian signed a new deal, remained the focal point of Klopp’s attack and extended a legacy that would come to define an era at Anfield. Across 442 appearances he scored 257 goals in all competitions, driving Liverpool to another Premier League title and a stack of major honours.
The numbers only began to dip this season. Twelve goals in 41 games marked a clear drop from his ruthless peak, a reminder that even the most relentless forwards eventually slow.
Antony’s path went in the opposite direction. He followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford for a fee that instantly placed him under the harshest spotlight. The price tag became the headline, then the burden, and finally the stick used to beat him as form deserted him.
He never fully justified the outlay and, after a turbulent spell, departed United on a permanent basis last summer. Any hope of a quiet exit vanished when he later spoke of feeling disrespected during his time at the club.
“Look, I'm not the kind of guy who gets involved in controversies, who names people, in fact, I won't mention anyone's name here,” he told ESPN Brazil. “But I think there was a bit of a lack of respect there, even a bit of rudeness too, with no one giving you a good morning, a good afternoon.
“Not even that. But, anyway, that's in the past, I won't give much importance to these things. Now I'm here, at Betis, I'm living here, that's the most important thing for me.”
In Spain, he has finally found rhythm again. At Real Betis this season, Antony has produced the sort of output United thought they were buying: 14 goals and 10 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. The raw talent that once lit up Amsterdam has resurfaced in Seville.
His comments about Liverpool add a layer of intrigue to that resurgence. They also sharpen the sense of what might have been. How different would his trajectory look had he walked into Klopp’s system, flanked by Salah rather than effectively replacing him? Would the scrutiny have been softer, the adaptation smoother, the expectations less suffocating?
Football’s sliding doors rarely swing more dramatically than between Anfield and Old Trafford. Antony chose United, lured by Ten Hag and the weight of the badge. Liverpool stuck with Salah and doubled down on a modern great.
Years later, Salah’s medals and goals tell one story. Antony’s revival at Betis and his reflections on respect, rejection and a road not taken tell another.
