Eric Bailly set to join Marseille on a season-long loan from Manchester United

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly is closing in on a season-long loan to Olympique de Marseille, according to The Telegraph.

Bailly will join the Ligue 1 side. They will pay a substantial loan fee for the player and cover his full salary. There is believed to be an obligation to buy clause if Marseille qualify for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League.

The deal is now subject to Bailly completing his medicals after he was pictured in Marseille, the oldest city in France, holding the club’s scarf.

The Ivory Coast international centre-back has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax. Erik Ten Hag has given Bailly permission to find game time elsewhere.

United bought Bailly from Villarreal for £30 million in 2016. The 28-year-old impressed in his debut season, but injuries would halt his development.

Bailly has made only 113 appearances for United across his six seasons in England. That amounts to an average of under 20 appearances per season.

Bailly signed a contract renewal in 2021 that did not go down well with club fans. He extended his contract, meant to end in 2022, until 2024 despite fans worrying about his injury record/availability.

Bailly now looks set to join the French giants on loan. The 46-cap international will hope he can stay injury-free and contribute significantly to Marseille’s 2022/23 campaign.