There has never been a question about Eric Bailly’s talent. Even this season, when on the pitch, the defender has done very well. But there is no denying the fact that he has had his fair share of injury issues throughout his time at Manchester United.
As a result, he has never quite managed to establish himself as a first-team starter. This season, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have served as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first choice pairing in the heart of defence.
On the other hand, Bailly has struggled for minutes on the pitch. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has made 15 appearances across all competitions this season, which have combined for just 1222 minutes of football.
Thus, there was a feeling that he could very well be heading towards the Old Trafford exit door in the summer. But now, it looks like he does have a future at the club as he has signed a long-term contract extension with the Red Devils.
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Eric Bailly extends his stay at Manchester United
As reported by the club’s official website, Bailly has signed a deal that will run until June 2024 with the option of a further year as well.
At 27 years of age, he is entering his prime as a footballer and could end up being a huge part of Solskjaer’s first-team if he can remain injury-free. Of course, that will now be the big challenge ahead of Bailly.
On the pitch, he has shown that he can get it done. But unfortunately, a series of injuries have meant that he has never gotten a consistent run in the first-team, which is very important for any footballer. Since arriving in 2016 from Villarreal, there has only been one season when he has made more than 15 league appearances for the Red Devils.
One can only hope that Bailly can leave his injury issues behind him moving forward and is back in contention for a first-team spot as soon as possible.