Bayern Munich had a tense summer transfer window. They had to face rejection from several top targets as they looked to strengthen the attack. After missing out on Florian Wirtz, Bayern huffed and puffed to get the deal for Luis Diaz over the line before the start of the season.
Diaz was an expensive acquisition considering his age and contract situation at Liverpool. Despite signing Diaz, Bayern needed one more forward, as they had parted ways with three senior forwards and a young, highly rated forward in Paul Wanner.
Bayern had explored several options in the final weeks of the transfer window. Antony was one of the players who was approached by Die Roten. The Brazilian winger left Manchester United to join Real Betis this summer.
While speaking with Cope in Spain (via iMiaSanMia), Antony confirmed that Bayern had offered him a much more lucrative contract than Real Betis. The Brazilian forward had his heart set on a move to Betis, which meant Die Roten’s late move couldn’t turn his head. Antony completed a move to the La Liga side on deadline day.
"I spoke to Bayern Munich the day before everything was done with Betis. I don't know if it was seven million, I didn't talk about that. But when I spoke with them, I said I gave my word to Betis, and that everything was 95% finalized, and I'll stick to my word."Antony. Real Betis winger
Antony wouldn’t have fit Bayern’s loan only deals approach
Bayern chiefs have not responded to comments from Antony. However, the Brazilian wouldn’t have fit the criteria of a loan signing for Bayern. Manchester United were only open to a permanent transfer for Antony. The former Ajax winger had a productive loan spell at Betis during the second half of the season. The Spanish club wanted to bring him back on a permanent deal since the start of the summer window.
Apart from the complex nature of the transfer, Antony wouldn’t have been a good tactical fit for Bayern. The Brazilian struggled to be a consistent player for Manchester United since arriving from Ajax for a whopping €100 million in 2022. He is best suited to play on the right flank, and Bayern had ample amount of cover in this position.
The Bavarian club eventually pivoted to a move for Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese forward completed a late loan move with an obligation to buy if he ends up starting 40 games. Jackson will be presented to the media on Friday ahead of the weekend’s Bundesliga game against Hamburg. He trained with the squad on Thursday after arriving from international duty for Senegal. The 24-year-old forward will most likely come off the bench to make his debut in the Bavarian colours.