Manchester United defender ‘has several options on the table’ as he plans Old Trafford exit: Reports

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has several options on the table as he prepares to end his stint at Old Trafford in search of a new club. The 28-year-old Ivorian international is amongst many other Manchester United players planning to leave the club this summer.

The club have appointed former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag to take over as the new full-term head coach in a bid to revamp the whole team. Ralf Rangnick, who took over as the interim manager after Ole Gunner Solskjaer was fired last November, will continue in his role as the football director.

Eric Bailly, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba are amongst the high-profile players set to leave the English club. The Red Devils have had a terrible season this year despite spending a huge sum of money to bring in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo to the team.

A report published in the Mirror has suggested that Eric Bailly does not see himself in the future plans of the club under Erik ten Hag and has sent his representatives to find another club for him. Bailly arrived at Old Trafford in 2016 from Spanish club Villarreal for a reported fee of £30 million.

However, the centre-back has failed to secure a first-team spot. Bailley has played only seven games in the ongoing season, making his resolve to leave the team even stronger.

The Ivorian international had earlier hinted in 2021 that he would like to find another club in the future if his place in the starting-XI remains uncertain. He said:

“Competition is always good to improve. I just say that I want to stay in case I get the chance to play. I don’t want to be a starter one game and a substitute for another five. If that happens I will have to look for another solution. The new contract is fine but if I don’t play I will be open to listen to other proposals.”

Erik ten Hag orders Manchester United squad to return for pre-season on June 27th

Manchester United's incoming full-time manager Erik ten Hag has ordered the squad to return to pre-season training on June 27th. The Dutch manager is not happy with the fitness levels of some of the players and wants them to get used to his style of play ahead of the new season.

Manchester United will play their last game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The summer transfer window is expected to be a busy time for the English club as they work out plans to bolster their team's strength ahead of the new season.

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Edited by S Chowdhury