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What’s the rumour?
Manchester United is a club that is always a part of high profile rumours in the transfer market. These days, they have been targeting defenders and are also, in danger of losing their players. This time, it is their player who has been linked with another club.
According to ESPN, AC Milan is targeting United defender, Eric Bailly.
In case you didn’t know...
Manchester United had a terrible start to their campaign, but it looks like they are making a comeback. They have registered 3 wins and a draw in their last 4 games in the Premier League. They earned a hard fought 2-1 victory at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth and even defeated Everton with the same scoreline a week before.
They are placed 7th on the league table and just 4 points away from the top four. They are 2nd in their UCL group and look set to qualify. Anthony Martial has been their best player this season and has wreaked havoc. Youngsters, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford have also impressed, while senior pros like David de Gea and Paul Pogba have been good as of late.
AC Milan is one of the best clubs in the Serie A, but their performances in the last few years have been heartbreaking. It has been a long time since they last played in the Champions League. Currently, they are placed 4th in the table. Suso and Gonzalo Higuain have been the main men for the club.
The heart of the matter
Eric Bailly has struggled for game time this season and hasn’t featured after being substituted against Newcastle United, after playing for just 19 minutes. He fears that he has lost Mourinho’s faith and although he is happy at the club, he might want to move out for more games.
Many PL clubs want the Ivory Coast player, but United would obviously be reluctant to sell their player to direct rivals. His contract expires at the end of next season and contract talks are yet to take place. AC Milan’s defence hasn’t been the best this season and they would welcome a player of Bailly’s quality.
Rumour rating: 7/10
ESPN is a very reliable source and can be trusted with rumours. All parties would be extremely happy with the move and United can use this money to buy a much better defender. This rumour could have some truth and might be one of the biggest moves in the January window.
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What’s next?
Manchester United will travel to Turin this week to play Juventus in an important Champions League fixture. Eric Bailly is expected to be a part of the squad and Milan will play Real Betis in their Europa League fixture.
