Don’t sign Bailly! – Send Man Utd loanee back, Marseille told

Robin Bairner

• 9 Mar 2023 08:27 GMT
• 3 min read

Marseille have been told to avoid signing Manchester United loanee Eric Bailly.

The 28-year-old joined the Stade Velodrome club at the end of the summer transfer window but has seen his appearances limited in France because of injury and suspension.

Bailly has featured just 15 times in all competitions for Marseille, who have powered to second in Ligue 1 after a fine run of form under Igor Tudor. After suffering from a dead leg before the World Cup, he served a seven-match suspension after being sent-off for hospitalising an opponent in a Coupe de France match against Hyeres in January.

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Bailly to Marseille fake news?

Former Marseille player Jean-Charles de Bono hopes that it’s “fake news” that automatic qualification for the Champions League, which would be brought about by finishing at least second in the league, would trigger a deal., with the purchase price set at €6 million for a player with an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €4.3m.

“If they finish second and you have to keep him on a big salary for the next two years, it’s going to be difficult,” he told Football Club de Marseille of Bailly.

"Today, it would not be a good move for OM. Then again, I don’t know if he’ll have fewer injuries next season or he regains all his feelings. He could be something completely different then.

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"But today, when we talk about it, Bailly is not a good move for OM.

“I think that in the mind of our manager Igor Tudor he is not one of the priorities.

"Bailly believes he’s better than he is, a bit like Tavares.

"We hope that this story of a mandatory purchase option if we finish second is fake news.”

If Marseille don’t want Bailly to remain at the club, he will be warmly welcomed back to Manchester United by Marcus Rashford, who admitted to missing the Ivory Coast international earlier this season.