Despite making just 12 Premier League appearances this season, Eric Bailly has proved money well spent at Manchester United after his £30 million move last summer.
A serious knee injury suffered during October’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea saw the 22-year-old miss almost two months’ worth of action yet he’s become one of Jose Mourinho’s most important players.
It’s Bailly’s pace that separates him from the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo, as Mourinho touched on last week.
Speaking about losing Bailly to the African Cup of Nations, he said: “I know that I lose Bailly for a month, and I’m going to have Smalling, Rojo and Jones – three players for eight matches.
“So I decided to play Eric [against Middlesbrough] and it was good in the end. It was good to have Eric on the pitch because he is the fastest one.
“And to play one against one in the back, he is the best, because he is very fast.”
There’s a good chance Bailly could return to even more competition for places at United when AFCON finishes, with Mourinho chasing Victor Lindelof and Southampton’s Jose Fonte.
And while the thought of having another centre-back to contend with should worry the Ivorian, it would seem he relishes the idea.
Bailly, speaking after Ivory Coast’s 2-1 win over Sweden in a pre-tournament friendly, discussed Lindelof’s potential move to United and explained how he wants it to happen.
“I hope to play with him. Hopefully, he will help us,” he told Fotbollskanalen in Abu Dhabi, per Manchester Evening News. “He is a very good player.
“He has great qualities and will certainly do well if he comes to us.”
Signing Lindelof would give Mourinho a major selection headache at centre-back considering Bailly, Smalling, Jones and Rojo have all staked claims to be his first choice recently.
In Bailly and Smalling’s recent absence, Jones and Rojo have been solid at the back and helped United win their last eight games in all competitions.
And while the former two are arguably the superior partnership, Mourinho has been mightily impressed with how they’ve performed.
“He’s (Jones) had a big improvement in his physical condition and now he looks fresh, sharp, fast and agile – it’s a big evolution,” he said last month.
“I think he already played six matches; I don’t remember the last time Phil Jones did that.
“[Jones] is a little bit like Marcos, who was having lots of problems and injuries – he also looks free of it.
“In a period without Bailly and Smalling, they’ve stepped up and played so many matches already, six
I think. They’re playing well, playing solid, so I’m really happy for them.”