Roland Cutinho
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has his say on Eric Bailly potential sale to French side Olympique Marseille
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has talked about African centre-back Eric Bailly’s future at Old Trafford amid links with a move to French club Marseille.
The Ligue 1 side is pushing to sign the United defender on a permanent basis in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has stated that Marseille are actively working towards finalising a deal for the Ivorian star before the deadline day.
The club is keen to bring back the 29-year-old after he spent the previous season on loan at the Orange Velodrome.
Ahead of the Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday, Ten Hag was asked about Bailly’s recent links to France in a pre-match press conference.
As quoted by the club’s official website, the Dutch boss replied by saying:
“When we have news, we will give it straight away, but we don’t have it at this moment so we can’t say anything about it.”
Ten Hag has continued to remain silent on the matter, as there has been no concrete bid offered by Marseille for the United centre-back.
Currently, there have been no official statements as the deal has yet to advance. Hence, it is rather surprising to see the gaffer not utter a word until and unless there is no confirmation.
The Red Devils would expect a bid for their player since he has also been attracting interest from Fulham.
During his loan spell at Marseille, the African Cup of Nations winner struggled with injuries and suspensions, resulting in significant time on the sidelines.
He managed to make 23 appearances across all competitions for Igor Tudor’s team, displaying some noteworthy performances but without making a huge impact on the team’s performance.
It seems that his efforts have convinced the Marseille management that he is a valuable addition on a permanent basis, and Man United would be open to new offers this summer.
Currently, Bailly has only one year remaining on his contract with the English giants, although the club does have the option to extend it for an additional year.
However, it’s unlikely that this option will be activated because Bailly doesn’t appear to be part of Ten Hag’s long-term plans at Old Trafford.
With four centre-backs ahead of the African honcho in the pecking order, it is expected to see the player being linked with a move away.
The Red Devils would be more than happy to accept a decent transfer fee for the defender as they continue to raise funds for potential signings in the future.
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However, it remains to be seen whether the French club proposes an offer that is good enough for United to resist this summer.
