Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he is not surprised by Arsenal’s rumoured interest in Eric Bailly.
The Ivorian defender has been linked with a move to north London this transfer window and the Gunners have reportedly been lining up a loan deal with the option to buy at the end of the campaign.
Will Arsenal sign Bailly? Five key things to know…
- Signed by former manager Jose Mourinho for £30m in 2016, Bailly has just 18 months left on his current contract.
- The 24-year-old has been plagued by injury problems during his Old Trafford career and is not considered first-choice under Solskjaer.
- Bailly was sent off for a rash challenge against Bournemouth last month, prompting criticism from Solskjaer: “Paolo Maldini would have stayed on his feet.”
- The Gunners have reportedly enquired about Bailly’s availability but were rebuffed by Man Utd.
- No Man Utd centre-back boasts a better tackles per 90 (2.3), interceptions per 90 (2) and clearances per 90 (5.3) ratio than Bailly this season.
Bailly, who has the option of a two-year extension when his contract runs out in 2020, has started just once under interim boss Solskjaer since the Norwegian took the helm in December.
As such, Arsenal have been alerted by his uncertainty in the north west, and with Unai Emery in need of defensive cover following a season-ending knee injury to Rob Holding, Bailly has emerged as a strong candidate to join the Spaniard’s ranks.
Solskjaer was quick to acknowledge the speculation linking his centre-back to Arsenal, admitting he has not been “surprised” by the rumours.
When asked about Arsenal’s interest, Solskjaer said: “I’m not surprised if they do. That’s just one of those things.
“There’s always speculation and it’s not a big surprise.”
There has also been unwanted uncertainty surrounding the futures of a number of notable players at Old Trafford, including David de Gea and Anthony Martial.
However Solskjaer has revealed the club are pressing hard to tie their prized assets down to new deals; Juan Mata and Ander Herrera are also understood to be in talks regarding extensions.
“I think the club’s making progress,” he said. “But I leave that to the right people to do that.
“I don’t know really how far we are away from it, but hopefully we’re going to have some good news in the coming weeks.”
Arsenal and Man Utd will lock horns in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday with the Gunners playing host to Solskjaer’s men.
“Joining Man Utd was one big happy time”
Signed for a substantial figure, Bailly was tipped to fill the void left by the once-imperious partnership of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, but injuries have hampered his time at The Theatre of Dreams.
And while Bailly has failed to really hit the ground running like many United fans would have been hoping for when he joined from Villarreal two-and-a-half years ago, the Ivorian still holds cherished memories of his move to England.
“I was with my mum in the lounge and I told her I was going to sign for United,” Bailly said. “The family came and we talked and everyone was delighted. That day was one big happy time.
“Then I had to get on the flight to come and finalise all the arrangements in England. I had to undergo medical tests and sign here in Manchester.”
He added: “When I was in the Ivory Coast training centre, we had a small staff, a different system from Europe but they taught us a lot and it was there I realised that with hard work I could make it.
“Why not become a professional player in Europe? I believed in myself and continued to grow, to pray and that’s how I became a professional player in Europe.”
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