Despite signing a new contract, Eric Bailly says he would explore other options if a starting role is not granted to him by Ole Solskjaer.
Eric Bailly has warned that he will be open to a Manchester United exit if he doesn’t play regularly next season, despite the fact he has just signed a new contract.
United invested £30m in the Ivorian when prising him away from Villarreal in the summer of 2016, and he enjoyed a strong first season at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho, winning a Carabao Cup and Europa League double.
However, Bailly has been unable to kick on from there as persistent fitness issues have limited his overall contribution, with the 2020-21 marking his latest injury-ravaged campaign in Manchester.
Current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has chosen to keep faith with Bailly in spite of his injury record, as the Ivorian was handed a new three-year deal in April which ties him to Old Trafford until 2024.
Bailly has insisted that he isn’t bound to that agreement, though, and has vowed to explore other options if he is not afforded a starting spot in Solskjaer’s squad next season.
“Competition is always good to improve,” the 27-year-old told The Times. “I just say that I want to stay in case I get the chance to play. I don’t want to be a starter one game and a substitute for another five.
“If that happens I will have to look for another solution. The new contract is fine but if I don’t play I will be open to listen to other proposals.”
Bailly has only managed to feature in 105 games across all competitions in his first five seasons with the Red Devils, recording one goal and one assist along the way. For context, Harry Maguire has only been at the club for two seasons and has featured two more times.
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