Eric Bailly set to return to Manchester United after Marseille loan

Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Eric Bailly (29) is set to return to Manchester United when his loan deal at Olympique de Marseille expires at the end of the season. 

When Bailly made the move to Les Phocéens at the beginning of the season, he did so on a loan deal that included an option to join permanently. As initially reported by La Provence and confirmed by Romano, that option won’t be triggered, and the Ivory Coast international will therefore return to Old Trafford at the end of the season. 

The Manchester United centre-back’s season with Marseille is yet to live up to expectations so far. Bailly has only played 19 games in all competitions this season. He was frequently injured and was handed a seven-game suspension for a chest-high tackle in a Coupe de France tie against Hyères that left his opponent in intensive care.

Since his disjointed display against PSG in the Classique, during which he left far too much space to Kylian Mbappé (24), Bailly has lost the faith of manager Igor Tudor. The Ivory Coast international has fallen off the pecking order of centre-backs and, with Leonardo Balerdi (24) returning after serving a suspension, it would be a surprise to see him start another game for Les Phocéens.

Romano adds that Bailly will be put on the market with Manchester United prepared to let the player, who cost them €38m back in 2016, leave the club this summer.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle