Newly promoted side Fulham have submitted a bid for Manchester United defender Eric Bailly.
According to Football Insider, the Cottagers are interested in adding the 28-year-old to their defensive ranks as they look to bolster their backline in a bid to beat the drop.
Fulham however face strong competition for the Ivorian’s signature from Spanish side Sevilla who are also keen to land Alex Telles in a double swoop.
The Sevillistas Rojiblancos are keen on the defensive pair, who are deemed surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag, as direct replacements for Jules Kounde who joined Barcelona.
The West London club, as per Football Insider, are hellbent on signing proven centre-backs, also lining up West Ham’s Issa Diop and Chelsea’s Malang Sarr as possible targets.
Jose Mourinho is also said to retain an interest in a reunion with Bailly at Roma, although the Italian giants are prioritizing other target areas before making a strong push for the United defender, who extended his contract in April last year.
Bailly, who is a fan favourite, barely played for United last season under both former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim boss Ralf Rangnick, with both preferring a centre-back pairing of skipper Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
It could be argued that the arrival of Lisandro Martinez is the final nail in the coffin for Bailly’s hopes of becoming a regular starter under the new man in the Old Trafford dugout.
Martinez’s arrival may mean that the 28-year-old falls further down the pecking order and as such, a move away in search of first-team minutes could be in the best interest of the player.
The Ivory Coast international has been at Old Trafford for six years, making 113 appearances in that time.
His spell at the club has been downcast with numerous injuries and niggles that have kept him on the sidelines multiple times in his United career.
Bailly would represent the second signing from United for Fulham, who already picked up playmaker Andreas Pereira in an £8.5m move a month ago. It remains to be seen whether a move to the London club – or indeed to Sevilla – materializes, or if the player is granted a chance to fight for his career at the Theatre of Dreams.
