Home » Teams » Manchester United » Man Utd will dig their own grave by extending this lacklustre £30m star’s contract

Man Utd will dig their own grave by extending this lacklustre £30m star’s contract

published :

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly in action. (Getty Images)

Why extending Bailly’s contract is not wise for Man United

According to The Sun, Manchester United are prepared to extend Ivorian defender Eric Bailly’s contract.

The 25-year old’s current deal at Old Trafford expires next summer and United are not ready to let him go for free.

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly in action. (Getty Images)
Manchester United defender Eric Bailly in action. (Getty Images)

However, Bailly, who joined Old Trafford for £30m three years back, has played only 74 games in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The Ivorian never looked settled at the club, as his time at Old Trafford has been dampened by injuries and inconsistent form.

Earlier in April, the defender had suffered a ligament injury in his right knee while playing against Chelsea in the Premier League, according to the Metro.

An injured Bailly is walked off the field by Manchester United medical staff.
An injured Bailly is walked off the field by Manchester United medical staff. (Getty Images)

However, Bailly, who returned once again for the Red Devils, picked up an injury against Tottenham in a pre-season friendly and had to finally undergo surgery.  

Since then, the Ivorian has not featured in a single game for the Red Devils and has been on the fringes this entire season.

Meanwhile, the United board are keen to extend his deal and do not want him to walk away for free, as claimed by the Metro.  

Harry Maguire of Manchester United
Harry Maguire of Manchester United reacts during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Including Bailly, United have six defenders in their squad at the moment. Joining him on the list of injured defenders is youngster Axel Tuanzebe, who impressed with his decent displays at the beginning of the season.

Other than Bailly and Tuanzebe, Ole currently has summer signing Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones at his disposal.

United centre-back Phil Jones.
United centre-back Phil Jones. (Getty Images)

With Ole often deploying Maguire and Lindelof together, Rojo and Jones have found it extremely difficult to start games this season.

In fact, Rojo has started only once while Jones is yet to make an appearance. With as many as six defenders fighting for a place in the squad, it remains to be seen as to how Ole could fit the injured Bailly in his team.

Marcos Rojo makes a pass during the UEFA Europa League group L match between Partizan Belgrade and Manchester United. (Getty Images)
Marcos Rojo makes a pass during the UEFA Europa League Group L match between Partizan Belgrade and Manchester United. (Getty Images)

So far, Bailly has played a total of 50 matches in the Premier League and has 1 goal to his credit. Before moving to England, the centre-back had played 47 matches for his former side Villareal over a period of two years.

He was at his best for the Red Devils in his initial season (2016-17), where he recorded an overall defensive rating of 7.23, according to Whoscored.

Eric Bailly of Manchester United
Eric Bailly in action for United. (Getty Images)

He made 24 Premier League appearances that year and had an average of 2.4 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 5 aerial clearances per game. (Source: Whoscored).

Since then, Bailly has made just 26 appearances for United in two years. This raises serious doubts regarding the player’s fitness and that is something Ole and the board must consider before extending his contract.

Verdict

From a professional point of view, such inconsistency is definitely unacceptable.

Thus, United extending Bailly’s contract does not seem like a wise decision from any angle.

Read more:

With Ole favouring a Maguire-Lindelof partnership at the back – and with the other three still in contention – Bailly is nothing but surplus to requirements.