Real Betis are launching a unique clothing range inspired by Antony's neck tattoo as the club look to fund £21.6m move from Manchester United. The Brazilian winger had already won fans over during his loan spell in Seville last season, but finances threatened to derail the deal. United stood firm on their valuation, leaving Betis to search for creative ways to bridge a £5m gap.
Antony's new clothing line inspired by Iluminado tattoo
Betis and Antony have collaborated on a fashion range inspired by the winger’s iconic neck tattoo, which reads Iluminado; “enlightened” in English. The collection will see royalties shared between the club and the player, generating non-sporting income designed to offset the transfer fee.
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Chief executive Ramon Alarcon said: "We’ve launched a clothing line with Antony, we’re participating with him through royalties. And he’ll also have some non-sporting income from that merchandising. If he ends up being the world star he has been, we at Betis hope to recover the investment and even what it cost us the previous year. It carries a certain risk because this is locked in for five years and at a high cost, but you can potentially reap benefits. It’s the most difficult signing I’ve made as CEO because there was a lot of pressure from all the Betis fans. It was taken for granted that he was coming, everyone was asking when he was coming.”
United’s stance and Glazer green light caused Antony delay
Despite Betis’ inventive financial approach, the move nearly collapsed just two days before the deadline. Antony was involved in a dispute with Manchester United over a payment he believed was due. That issue was eventually scrapped to push the transfer over the line. Adding to the drama, the deal could not be rubber-stamped until the Glazer family signed it off from the United States on deadline day. Betis had to hold their nerve until the very last hours before finally confirming Antony’s arrival.
Red Devils secure sell-on clause in Antony deal
While Betis celebrated their coup, United made sure they did not walk away empty-handed. The Premier League club inserted a 50 per cent sell-on clause into the deal, ensuring they will pocket half of any future transfer fee if Antony is sold again. For United, it represents a long-term safeguard after letting go of a player who cost them £82m from Ajax in 2022.