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Lisandro Martinez may only have been a Manchester United player for a month, but he already seems to have formed close bonds with his teammates. He recently showed some love for outgoing defender Eric Bailly after the Ivory Coast international completed his loan move to Olympique Marseille.
The former Ajax defender, who was bought by the Red Devils at the command of new boss Erik ten Hag, is one of the reasons for Bailly's exit. With Martinez's arrival, there were five centre-backs at Manchester United, and the club needed to get someone off their books.
This brought Bailly's defender's six-year stay at Old Trafford to an end as he left for France. After his exit was announced, the Frenchman took to Instagram to thank the Red Devils family. He wrote:
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you United!"
His teammates took to the comment section of the post to wish Bailly the best for his future. Short-term teammate Martinez wrote (via Manchester Evening News):
"Successes friend."
Meanwhile, youngster Anthony Elanga hilariously referred to the Ivory Coast international as "uncle." The forward wrote:
"Thanks for everything uncle."
Manchester United captain and centre-back partner Harry Maguire was also among the well-wishers. The England international wrote:
"Good luck mate."
For most of his United career, Bailly was a bit-part player who struggled to cement his place in the starting XI.
Sometimes it was injuries, at other times his unconventional defending and inconsistent performances. The centre-back made 113 appearances for the Red Devils after arriving in a €38 million move from Villarreal back in 2016.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Bailly's season-long loan contract at Marseille contains a buy option. The Ligue 1 outfit will have to fork out around €10 million to make the deal permanent.
Patrice Evra tells Manchester United one 'simple' thing they must do to win against Southampton
Manchester United picked up their first points in the Premier League at the expense of Liverpool at Old Trafford on Monday, August 22. The Red Devils will now face Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday, August 27.
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra insists that Erik ten Hag's men must now show some consistency.
The Frenchman believes if they were to lose or draw against the Saints, their performance against the Reds might come across as a fluke.
In his Daily Metro column, Evra suggested that if United can keep a clean sheet, they will be able to get the better of the Saints. He wrote:
"This is a crucial match. Manchester United want to move forward, but if they draw or lose, people will say that the win against Liverpool was an accident. It’s all about continuity. We can score goals and if we keep a clean sheet we are going to win the game. It’s as simple as that."
