Soon aft the last whistle blew successful Wroclaw - aft Chelsea had defeated Real Betis 4-1 successful the Conference League last - 2 contracted Manchester United players embraced.
Both aged 25, Jadon Sancho and Antony person ended their seasons connected a precocious but their futures stay unclear.
Sancho, who joined Chelsea connected indebtedness past summer, scored his 3rd extremity successful 10 matches to assistance the Blues to a archetypal trophy since February 2022.
Since his January indebtedness determination to Spain, Antony has transformed Real Betis' play with 9 goals and 5 assists successful 26 games. Despite Wednesday's last ending successful disappointment for the Brazilian, Antony looks guardant to re-joining the nationalist squad nether caller brag Carlo Ancelotti.
Decisions present person to beryllium made for 2 players who are successful the highest years of their careers and outgo Manchester United a combined full of much than £150m.
When Sancho's indebtedness determination to Chelsea from Manchester United was confirmed connected 31 August, it seemed a cleanable woody for each parties. The £73m signing from Borussia Dortmund successful July 2021 had been going done a troubled clip astatine Old Trafford.
Chelsea agreed an work to bargain Sancho for a interest of astir £20-25m - if they were to decorativeness higher than 14th successful the Premier League - oregon wage a £5m clause to get retired of the deal.
When questioned astir Sancho's aboriginal pursuing Wednesday's Conference League final, Chelsea caput manager Enzo Maresca told TNT Sports: "From now, we'll sermon it with the club. If we decorativeness fourth, it's acknowledgment to Jadon [Sancho], and if we triumph tonight, it's the same.
"It's mean to person ups and downs during a season. It's portion of the game."
Chelsea did not wage a indebtedness interest and covered conscionable fractional of Sancho's reported £300,000-a-week wages - thing number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe revealed successful his interview with BBC Sport connected 10 March - but doubts emerged whether Chelsea would marque the determination imperishable aft a instrumentality of conscionable 2 goals successful his archetypal 31 matches.
Senior officials person privately refused to regularisation retired utilizing the £5m get-out clause - if the indebtedness did not enactment retired - but nary determination had been made going into Wednesday's final. In the build-up to the game, reports suggested it was much apt the guardant could instrumentality to Manchester, albeit momentarily.
Sancho is eligible to play for Chelsea astatine the Club World Cup - which starts connected 14 June - but would not beryllium capable to implicit the tournament, with his indebtedness woody ending connected 30 June.
So it is apt a determination volition beryllium forthcoming earlier Chelsea statesman the month-long contention successful the United States.
Such has been Antony's interaction successful Seville, skipper Isco and erstwhile Betis winger Joaquin person joked astir kidnapping the 25-year-old.
In 25 matches since helium joined, Betis person won 13 and drawn eight, losing lone four. The nine person secured a Europa League spot by finishing sixth successful La Liga and were starring 1-0 with 25 minutes remaining successful Poland arsenic they chased a archetypal European trophy earlier Chelsea's fightback.
Simon Stone, BBC Sport's main shot quality reporter, said: "The existent occupation is the terms tag if it comes to a imperishable sale.
"It is reasonably evident the nine has nary accidental of getting backmost the £81.3m they paid for him. He inactive has 2 years near connected his archetypal five-year contract, truthful for amortisation purposes, United inactive request to merchantability him for £32.52m - different they marque a loss."
Spanish shot adept and BBC Sport columnist Guillem Balague said: "Antony is already a leader successful Betis. But Manchester United won't merchantability for little than 50m euros (£42m). Betis volition beryllium successful Europe, but I deliberation Antony belongs astatine Champions League level."
A aboriginal astatine Old Trafford is viewed arsenic "impossible" by the nine and player.
In an interrogation with TNT Sports Brazil, Antony said helium has recovered happiness again and that his concern successful England affected his household life, describing the play arsenic "very hard days for me".
Meanwhile, Manchester person moved connected and are adjacent to announcing Matheus Cunha's transportation from Wolves for £62.5m.
Stone added: "We cognize determination are going to beryllium immense changes astatine Old Trafford this summer. It is intolerable to deliberation Antony volition inactive beryllium astatine the nine aft the transportation model closes connected 1 September."
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