Manchester United defender Eric Bailly is reportedly closing in on completing a move to Ligue 1 club Marseille this summer.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Eric Bailly is set to join French club Marseille on a season-long loan deal. And the Ligue 1 giants will sign the Manchester United defender permanently if they manage to secure UEFA Champions League qualification at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Romano has added that Bailly will travel to Carrington to say his goodbyes to his Manchester United teammates before completing the switch away from Old Trafford to Marseille in the coming hours.
The 28-year-old central defender arrived at Manchester United for a fee of around £30 million back in 2016 and he was expected to develop into a mainstay in the Manchester United defence. However, Bailly has had a disappointing time at the Premier League club, and his stay at Old Trafford has been plagued with injuries.
The Ivory Coast international made just four appearances in the Premier League last season, and he leaves Manchester United with just 70 league outings under his belt in six seasons. The 28-year-old will be hoping to kick-start his career with regular first team football at Marseille, and it remains to be seen whether the Ligue 1 club can help him regain his match fitness and confidence.
Eric Bailly deal, completed and here we go confirmed. Been told Bailly will be @ Carrington later today to say goodbye to his teammates – then he will fly to Marseille within 24h in order to join OM. ?? #MUFC #OM
Loan with mandatory buy clause if OM will qualify to next UCL. pic.twitter.com/26jh9LvCBz
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 23, 2022
The Red Devils opted to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax earlier on in the summer transfer, and Bailly fell further down the pecking order as a result. The 28-year-old would have struggled for regular football at Old Trafford and a move away from Manchester United and the Premier League is likely to benefit him.
Bailly will now look to get over his injury problems and establish himself as a key player at his new club. Prior to his move to Manchester United, Bailly was regarded as a prodigious talent, and it will be interesting to see if he can fulfil his potential in Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, Marseille had William Saliba on loan from Arsenal last season, and the young defender was a key player for them. However, the Frenchman has returned to his parent club this summer, and Bailly is likely to replace him in the starting lineup.
Marseille are signing Bailly on a season-long loan deal, and the Ligue 1 club will have no option but to buy him permanently if they clinch qualification to the UEFA Champions League. It will be interesting to see how the Manchester United defender fares in France in the 2022/23 campaign.
