Former Manchester United winger Antony has revealed that interest from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window took him completely by surprise.
Antony completed a move to LaLiga side Real Betis in September after a stellar loan spell during the 2024-25 season, bringing an end to his underwhelming stint at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian made 26 appearances during his time on loan with Betis, scoring nine goals and providing five assists across all competitions.
Indeed, since his first LaLiga outing back in January, only Fermin Lopez (23), Ferran Torres (25), Lamine Yamal (29), Raphinha (30), Julian Alvarez (32) and Kylian Mbappe (46) have more goal involvements than Antony’s 22.
Antony’s initial spell at Betis attracted the interest of many European clubs over the summer, but one surprise inclusion was that of Bundesliga champions Bayern.
Having lost Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane to Al-Nassr and Galatasaray, respectively, Vincent Kompany was actively looking to fill another position in the wide areas.
And while knowing what he was capable of, Antony was left shaken by the conversation he had with Kompany.
“I’m going to be completely honest. It really shook me up,” Antony told Globo Esporte during an interview which addressed Bayern’s interest.
“We’re talking about a global giant, Bayern Munich, where a coach with that kind of history, Kompany, calls me.
“And we had a conversation there. He was super polite to me, said he always really liked my football, and this was at 11pm, a little after 11.
“Whether I wanted to or not, it really affected me. Because of the greatness of the club, the greatness of the coach, and the way he approached me, the way he talked to me.”
Antony later stated that his decision to turn down a move to Bavaria was due to family reasons.
The 25-year-old has netted six goals and provided two assists for Betis in 11 appearances across all competitions, while also creating 17 chances, a total only bettered by Pablo Fornals and Giovani Lo Celso (both 23) among his team-mates.
