Newcastle United have initiated contact with Manchester United star Eric Bailly, who looks set to leave Old Trafford in the summer.
According to Jonathan Shrager, Newcastle United have become the latest club to express their interest in Eric Bailly. The Magpies have initiated contact with Manchester United, exploring the possibility of a summer swoop, although they could face stiff competition from European rivals including AS Roma and Olympique Lyon.
Even Marseille have registered interest in Bailly, who is likely to leave Manchester United in the summer after losing prominence in the first team. He has indeed struggled to establish himself as a regular and could be offloaded at the end of the season.
It appears Bailly has been a victim of Manchester United’s lavish policy in the transfer market. In recent years, he has lost his place in the team to flashy signings such as Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and most recently, Raphael Varane.
It has been evident in his lack of game-time, with the former Villarreal starlet only featuring in four Premier League games this term. He has even fallen behind Phil Jones in the pecking order, although injuries have played also its part in stifling his progress at Old Trafford.
Newcastle United sense this could be an excellent market opportunity to sign the experienced defender. Despite Bailly’s struggles in recent years, the Magpies rate the defender highly due to his pedigree at the highest level of football, coupled with dogged defensive abilities.
Bailly has shown glimpses of his talents at Old Trafford in the past. His strong physical frame and aerial prowess make him an ideal player for Eddie Howe, who is hoping to add more competition to Fabian Schar and Dan Burn in the coming season.
Newcastle United are mainly targeting quality youngster such as Sven Botman this summer, with the Magpies even weighing up a fresh move for the Dutch international. But in Bailly, they could find themselves an experienced individual, who is more than capable of adding quality to the backline.
Manchester United, for their part, are already preparing ahead for the exit of Bailly and Jones. The Red Devils have recently set their sights on in-demand Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Evan N’Dicka, although Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji could be another option.