Real Betis are on the cusp of selling midfielder Johnny Cardoso, potentially boosting their chances of signing Manchester United winger Antony. According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Betis are very close to finalising the sale of Cardoso to La Liga counterparts Atletico Madrid for a fee in excess of €30million (£25.6m). The USA international has been heavily linked with a move to the Spanish capital in recent weeks and it now appears as though a deal is very close to being finalised. It is reported he has agreed to sign a five-year contract. Amid the expectation that Betis are on the brink of banking £25m, it could boost United's chances of selling Antony this summer. He spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign at the Seville-based club and made a telling contribution. Racking up 26 appearances during his short-term stint at the Spanish outfit, Antony scored nine goals and registered five assists, helping them reach the Europa Conference League final. Amid the successful nature of his loan spell, Betis are keen on re-signing him this summer. However, Betis president Angel Haro admitted last month they were looking into another loan deal for the former Ajax man, suggesting they would be unable to finance a permanent transfer. Haro said: "Keeping Antony as our own is very, very complicated. We'll have a meeting with Manchester United to extend the loan for another year, to be able to share a percentage of the player. "It's about seeing the willingness of the player and Manchester United. The first filter is set by Manchester, and then the negotiation of the player would come, but that’s a long way off." More recently, Betis chief executive Ramon Alarcon was asked about Antony and told Estadio Deportivo : "Working, working… It's still very early. "We're going little by little, as there's still a lot of market space to be filled. This is very long, and it hasn't even really begun." Antony enjoyed his time at Betis and is understood to be open to returning to the club. Furthermore, he is one of three players United are trying to sell as a priority this summer . United need to sell him for £32.58m to avoid a loss under the profit and sustainability rules (PSR). As a result of being close to banking north of £25m for Cardoso, it is possible Betis may decide to use that money towards trying to sign Antony on a permanent basis instead of a loan. Currently earning around £150,000-a-week at United, Antony is prepared to take a 30 per cent wage cut to leave the club on a permanent basis this summer.