Reds facing a Bail out call this summer
FOR the umpteenth time since he arrived on these shores in 2016, Eric Bailly is presenting United with a dilemma.
Quite how best to utilise the defender has rarely been a simple question for Reds managers in the past five years, often because the Ivory Coast international is unavailable with injury but also because, even when fully fit, he can be erratic.
Jose Mourinho paid £30m to bring Bailly to Old Trafford from Villareal in 2016, but within two years – and after signing another centre-back, Victor Lindelof, in 2017 – the Portuguese was at loggerheads with the board over funds to sign a third central defender.
He wanted Harry Maguire, Diego Godin or Toby Alderweireld, simply because he did not trust the centrebacks he already had.
Bailly had only played 18 times in all competitions in the season that preceded that tempestuous transfer window, the 2017/18 campaign when United finished a distant second behind City.
So maybe Mourinho’s stance was understandable, even if it ultimately brought about his demise in late 2018.
Now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be in an identical position three years on, with United settling for second place and possibly a Europa League trophy as their best-case scenario this season, but still not quite happy with their centre-backs.
They have seen the impact Virgil van Dijk made at Liverpool, then the blossoming partnership between Ruben Dias and John Stones.
They know title-winning sides are founded on a strong defence, now seemingly the case more than ever.
Reports suggest Bailly, whose contract will be one year off its expiry in June, is unhappy with the way he’s been treated at United.
Some even claim he feels ‘angry’ and ‘disrespected’ at being regularly left out for Lindelof, and the fact United are cautious about handing him a new deal.
He clearly has confidence in his ability and will feel whenever he’s been called upon this season, he has impressed. He’s also avoided injury (relatively) well in comparison to previous campaigns but has still only played 15 times in all competitions. The question for United is whether they are prepared to take another gamble on Bailly and offer him a lengthy contract extension? They could be in a lose-lose position, either way they act. The player is still only 26 and is undoubtedly a naturally-talented defender whose partnership with Maguire – signed by Solskjaer in 2019, remember – has the makings of United’s best duo.
But then another injury could hit Bailly and there’s the nagging sense United need to renew their defence anyway. Speaking at the start of the season, the Norwegian vocalised his hope this would be the year Bailly finally found consistency and fitness. In September, he said: “Eric is fit again, which is a big bonus for us and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop and play more games because we’ve been waiting for him to... well, first, be fit and then to play more regularly.
The question for United is whether they are prepared to take another gamble on Bailly Dominic Booth
“Eric’s had so many niggly injuries but also serious ones because of his playing style.”
All of this discussion comes while there is another elephant in the room – the fact United will surely pull out all the stops to sign a centreback in the coming transfer window.
Dayot Upamecano was high on their priority list, but agreed to join Bayern Munich.
Raphael Varane remains a player United admire, while there is bona fide interest in Brighton’s Ben White and another Villareal star in Pau Torres.
None of this spells good news for Bailly.
It may be the case United are ready to make a ruthless decision on the 26-year-old and replace him this summer.
There will be many supporters who argue Bailly is worth keeping, certainly ahead of someone like Phil Jones, who hasn’t featured at all this season. There are even plenty who believe he is more valuable than Lindelof.
But a telling statistic on Bailly may just tip the balance. He has only just reached 100 games in a United shirt. Compare that to Fred who – for all his faults, recently exposed in the FA Cup defeat to Leicester – notched 100 appearances despite joining the club two years later.
The Reds want returns on their investments. It’s just ironic that Fred arrived in Mourinho’s infamous 2018 summer of discontent.