George Baker
Manchester United want Eric Bailly to prove his fitness ahead of new contract
According to ESPN, Manchester United want Eric Bailly to give an assurance that his injury problems are over ahead of a new contract offer. The Ivorian will enter the last year of his current deal with Manchester United next season and talks over a new deal have begun.
Bailly was signed in 2016 from Villarreal but he has yet to cement his place in the side due to recurring injury problems in the last 5 seasons. Only once has he managed more than 20 games in a single campaign. Even this season he has been hampered by injuries.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains a big fan of the 26-year-old though. In the limited games he has played this season, he was rather impressive alongside Harry Maguire. He played 7 games during the run that propelled United to the top. However, he has missed a bunch of games since then and only returned in the last game against Crystal Palace.
The defender’s entourage has been contacted over talks of a new deal. However, the club want assurances that he is past his fitness problems. They have concerns over how many games he keeps missing due to these injuries.
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Nonetheless, Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are said to be looking for a left-footed centre-back to partner Maguire. However, that may be hard to find, as sources say there are very few top quality left-sided defenders in the market.
