Manchester United star Eric Bailly set for Old Trafford exit this summer
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Manchester United star Eric Bailly has decided to call time on his stint at Old Trafford this summer.
The €38 million Ivory Coast international was Jose Mourinho’s first signing during the latter’s stint at the Theatre of Dreams. Injuries and a lack of consistency have largely hampered the central defender’s time at the club and he has steadily fallen out of favour in recent years.
Bailly is at best the fifth-choice central defender at the club and is unlikely to play a major role in the upcoming 2023-24 season. Erik ten Hag has enough options in the position and the 29-year-old’s imminent exit is something he and the club can live with.
There are clubs keen on Bailly with the likes of Al Naddr, Fulham and Al Ettifaq all interested. While Fulham could allow him to rebuild his reputation in the Premier League, a move to the middle east could prove to be financially lucrative.
Fulham need to bring in defence of reinforcement and the 29-year-old could prove to be a quality acquisition.
Eric Bailly will make a decision on next club soon as he’s set to leave Man Utd in the coming weeks. 🔴 #MUFC
Al Nassr approached him as called by @LeMechenoua.
Understand that also Fulham and Al Ettifaq have asked for conditions of the deal. pic.twitter.com/LnBlD5wk6a
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 21, 2023
Given his inability to shine at the top level, one can understand if Bailly decides to take the paycheque and move to Saudi Arabia. However, it is all conjecture at this point as negotiations haven’t yet reached a tipping point.
A solid player on his day, Bailly is a strong tackler and can be a physical force to be reckoned with. However, injuries and a general lack of concentration when afforded opportunities have cost him dear.
In his seven years as a Manchester United player, Bailly has made a mere 113 appearances across all competitions, scoring and assisting one goal each. At the same time, he has missed 103 games for the Red Devils owing to injuries. At the top level, this is just not good enough.
He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille. His seven-game ban for a horror tackle did little to improve matters or enhance his reputation among interested teams. Now back at Old Trafford, a difficult summer awaits him that could prove pivotal in his career to come.
Much was expected of Bailly when he arrived at Old Trafford and to his credit, he started off well. However, not all dreams come true and this particular one appears to be ending on an underwhelming score.
