Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly, who joined Olympique Marseille on loan this summer, has now caused an uproar by claiming that there is a British bias at the club when it comes to selection.
The Ivorian may not return to his parent club next season, with Marseille holding the option to turn his stay permanent. Moreover, it seems the Ivorian would happily stay away from United if given the chance, whom he accused of favouring English players in a recent interview.
He also lamented the lack of competition in the dressing room as part of his scathing rant but stopped short of criticizing new manager Erik ten Hag, claiming he hopes the Dutchman can fix things at the club.
“The club should avoid favoring English players and give everyone a chance.”
“Encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritized.
“That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs. Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team. Luckily [Erik] ten Hag has a lot of character and I hope he can change that dynamic,”
Bailly said.
The player joined United in the summer of 2016, becoming Jose Mourinho’s first new signing after being appointed as the senior team manager. The central defender, for whom the Red Devils had paid 30 million pounds, played 38 games in his first season at the club but would never hit that total in any of his subsequent seasons due to injury, new arrivals, and poor form.
Now at Marseille, the Ivorian has played two out of the six domestic games this season, helping the Olympiens maintain their unbeaten run. He has helped his defence keep a clean sheet in both the games he has played in – a 3-0 win over OGC Nice and a 1-0 success over Clermont Foot.
