Former Man Utd star eyes swift return to former club in a free transfer move, hours after contract termination.

 

Ex-Manchester United player Eric Bailly is on the verge of a swift comeback to football following the termination of his contract by Besiktas. The team officially announced their separation from Bailly today through a concise statement on their X account.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the center-back won't remain unattached for an extended period. Romano stated on X that Villarreal has been actively chasing Bailly since the previous week and has swiftly acted now that he's a free agent. The manager of Villarreal, Marcelino, is reportedly a fervent admirer of the defender. This marks Bailly's comeback to the Yellow Submarine, where he had an impressive one-year tenure from 2015 to 2016.

His performance at that location convinced Manchester United to spend £30 million to acquire his services in the summer of 2016.

In his initial season at Old Trafford, he secured victories in the League Cup and Europa League. However, a series of injury setbacks impeded his development in the subsequent years.

Following a decision by manager Erik ten Hag that deemed him surplus to needs, he was loaned out to Ligue 1 club Marseille last season.

Even with a year left on his £80,000-per-week contract, United made him available for transfer during the summer.

Bailly engaged in discussions to join forces with ex-companion Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, but that arrangement fell through. Subsequently, he ventured to Turkey in an attempt to revive his professional journey, and Besiktas officially confirmed his acquisition through a one-year contract.

Bailly encountered a tumultuous period at the Turkish club, leading to his exclusion, along with Vincent Aboubakar, Rachid Ghezzal, Jean Onana, and Valentin Rosier, two weeks ago. The club cited "subpar performances" and "discord with the team" as the reasons for their collective exile.

Following the players' banishment, newly appointed Besiktas president Hasan Arat conveyed to the AFP news agency: "Our primary focus is to construct an improved team - we intend to address the gaps in our squad during the [winter] hiatus."

It appears that the most suitable resolution for all parties involves the termination of Bailly's contract, considering he already has a secured club.

The exclusion of Bailly from Besiktas sparked significant controversy, and his representative, Rafaela Pimenta, who also manages Erling Haaland, asserted that the player's entitlements had been infringed upon, expressing in a statement: "We are taken aback, and it caught us off guard."

"We are readying our response as we are aware Eric has committed no wrongdoing.

"The player's entitlements are being infringed upon, and we will ensure to safeguard him.