Eric Bailly is reportedly seeking to leave Manchester United in the 2022 summer transfer window.
According to ESPN, Manchester United star, Eric Bailly is seeking to end his Old Trafford nightmare in the upcoming 2022 summer transfer window.
Much was expected of the Ivory Coast international after he joined the Red Devils from Villarreal in the summer of 2016. While he showed enough promise in his debut season, injuries largely limited his impact at the club.
Bailly has made just 113 appearances for the Red Devils in the six years since. During the same time, he missed 103 games due to various injuries. The arrivals of Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane have seen the Ivorian drop down the pecking order. He is effectively the fourth-choice centre-back at Old Trafford.
At 28, Bailly is in the prime of his career and should be playing week in and week out. That appears to be out of the question at Old Trafford. A parting of ways appears to be the need of the hour.
Bailly is frustrated with the lack of opportunities and is seeking regular playing time elsewhere. He has made just seven appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions this season and has not started a game since last December. Given that he has not been called upon more despite Manchester United’s defensive frailties suggests that the coaching staff lacks faith in his abilities.
The Ivorian has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford. It came as a surprise that he eventually chose to pen an extension and stay at the Theatre of Dreams last summer. The decision has not yielded fruit as both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have chosen against putting faith in the defender’s abilities.
With Erik ten Hag potentially set to take over at the end of the season, Manchester United could be looking at another squad shakeup in the summer. There is little to suggest that Bailly will enjoy better fortunes under the Dutchman, and an exit appears likely.
The 28-year-old still has much football left in him and can do a job for the right club. Bailly is better off seeking his fortunes elsewhere, and a parting of ways would be a win-win for all parties involved.
Where the Ivorian will end up and just how Manchester United deal with the potential departure remains to be seen. Given the limited role he has played at Old Trafford in recent years, it is fair to say that the Red Devils are unlikely to miss their defensive star too much.
