Arsenal are hoping to secure the signature of Manchester United defensive ace Eric Bailly this summer. According to recent reports, the Gunners are keeping tabs on the Ivory Coast defender’s situation at Old Trafford and could make an offer for him when the transfer window opens in the summer.
The 24-year-old centre-back has put some rock solid displays at the back for the Red Devils during the course of this campaign which has not gone unnoticed. Some sources have recently claimed that Arsene Wenger’s side are monitoring his situation at Manchester and are lining up a summer move for the ex Villarreal CF defender. However, they could face strong competition from Chelsea in pursuit of Bailly’s signature in the post-season.
Bailly has made 16 appearances for the Reds of Manchester this season, scoring one goal so far across all competitions. The centre-back also has 31 international caps to his name for the Ivory Coast national team. He signed for United from Villarreal in the summer of 2016 but has made sporadic appearances in Jose Mourinho’s senior team in this campaign.
It is being reported that the Ivory Coast international missed United’s end of the season awards dinner on Tuesday night due to a dental problem which has thrown even more doubt on his future at the Manchester club.
The North London outfit have a tally of 60 points after playing in 36 league fixtures during the course of this campaign and are currently sitting in the 6th spot in the English top-flight standings. All of the Gunners’ hopes of Champions League football next season were dashed on Thursday night when they were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Atletico Madrid with an aggregate score of 2-1.
The addition of Bailly will undoubtedly bolster Arsenal’s defensive options going into the new season. The Gunners have the likes of Callum Chambers, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal and Konstantinos Mavropanos vying for a place in the Wenger’s senior side. The potential acquisition of Bailly will definitely improve their team significantly and add more competition for places within the Gunners squad.
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Bailly is quite versatile and can play in a number of different position across the backline. The Ivory Coast international primarily operates as a central defender but can also be deployed in the right-back position which makes him an ideal fit for any of his potential suitors. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Bailly and whether he ends up making a switch to the Emirates Stadium this summer in search of regular first-team football.
