Serie A giants Napoli have reportedly made contact with Manchester United for Eric Bailly as they look to replace for Chelsea-bound Kalidou Koulibaly.
According to Italian transfer expert Alfredo Pedulla, Serie A giants Napoli have made enquiries into the availability of signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, who still has two years left on his deal at Old Trafford.
The Partenopei have identified the 28-year-old as a possible successor to Kalidou Koulibaly, who is on the cusp of joining Chelsea. The move could have a domino effect, with a string of transfers in the pipeline. Bailly was one of Jose Mourinho’s first signings at the club when he joined Manchester United in 2016, and the Ivorian was a regular fixture in his debut season at Old Trafford.
However, he has endured multiple injuries throughout his six-year spell, missing 98 games for the Red Devils, which has hampered his development and sent him plummeting down the pecking order. To date, Bailly has made only 113 appearances for Manchester United, notably winning the EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League during his stay.
While the 28-year-old has displayed flashes of his natural skill on the ball as well as strong defensive abilities, his lengthy time on the treatment table has overshadowed the talent. Last season, even though Manchester United had a leaky backline consisting of the underperforming trio of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof, Bailly only made seven appearances in all competitions.
Bailly is said to be keen to stay and fight for a place in Erik ten Hag’s team next season, as seen by his impressive performance in Manchester United’s 4-0 pre-season friendly win against Liverpool on Tuesday. However, with the club closing in on Lisandro Martinez, getting Bailly off their wage bill would be a necessity for the Red Devils, who are willing to listen to offers for the injury-prone defender.
Despite his struggles in England, Bailly is a wanted man on the continent, with Marseille and Lyon both expressing their interest in acquiring his services. Now, Serie A heavyweights Napoli, who have previous working experience with the English club to press their case, are in negotiations with Manchester United over a move for the 28-year-old.
Napoli had completed a short-term loan deal for Axel Tuanzebe in January and have now set their sights on Bailly. Senegalese defensive powerhouse Kalidou Koulibaly is on the verge of joining Chelsea, forcing Luciano Spalletti to hunt for options, making Bailly a feasible contender to fill the void in his team ahead of the upcoming season.
Having said that, Napoli have not put all of their eggs in the Bailly basket and have other candidates on their shortlist as well. Fiorentina ace Nikola Milenkovic, Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao and Fenerbahce’s Kim Min-Jae among others are under the scanner.
So, for the time being, this is far from a foregone conclusion. And while Bailly might be a great low-cost alternative in terms of transfer fee, his hefty wages could make the deal a tough nut to crack for the Serie A club.
