La Liga club Valencia are interested in acquiring the services of 29-year-old Manchester United defender Eric Bailly ahead of next season.
According to a report by Fichajes, Valencia are keen on having Eric Bailly in their ranks before the start of next season. The Spanish club have struggled in the ongoing season and will enter the upcoming transfer window looking for possible options to reinforce their squad.
Valencia are currently 15th in La Liga and have only managed to accumulate 41 points out of their 37 matches. Los Che are just two points above 18th-placed Real Valladolid. And, they will have to make sure they get a positive result on the final matchday to ensure La Liga survival.
Meanwhile, they have already started planning for the upcoming transfer window. Their disappointing run in the ongoing season means they will have to sign multiple players to revive themselves. A few players might depart as well, with Giorgi Mamardashvili a hot property.
Valencia are looking to strengthen each area on the field, but their major focus is on strengthing their defence. They have struggled to defend competently throughout the season and want to have a rock-solid base for next season.
The Spanish club have identified Eric Bailly as a key transfer target. The 29-year-old centre-back joined Manchester United in a £30 million deal back in the summer of 2016. He was an important part of their first team in the initial few seasons. But of late he has gone down the pecking order.
Bailly is not in Erik ten Hag’s plans for Manchester United. The Dutch manager who took charge of the club ahead of the 2022/23 season and signed Lisandro Martínez in his first transfer window. The arrival of the Argentine centre-back pushed Bailly further down the pecking order.
Ten Hag made it pretty clear that the Ivory Coast international was unlikely to get game time under him. As a result, he was sent out on loan to Marseille. The 29-year-old will return to Manchester United in the summer but is still unlikely to be in the plans of the Dutch boss. With Valencia interested in his services, he could be on his way out.
The Spanish club are likely to strike a deal with Manchester United as the player is not considered an important part of their project. However, they will look to reduce the asking price by as much as possible. While the Red Devils will be open to the idea of letting him leave, Valencia might have to fight it out with a few other clubs, like Sevilla, who are keen on landing the 29-year-old.
