Eric Bailly becomes the first signing of the Jose Mourinho era, joining Manchester United from Villarreal for a fee reported to be in the region of £30 million. The centre-back has signed an initial four-year deal and will compete for a spot in the middle of the back four at Old Trafford.
Goal profiles the 22-year-old, assessing his strengths and weaknesses and where he potentially could fit in when Mourinho sets about naming his starting line-up for the first game of next season...
Bailly is a man who clearly knows how to make an impression. Five years ago, Emilio Montagut spotted him at a youth tournament in Burkina Faso and hurriedly organised a move to Espanyol. Five Liga appearances and three years later, he was off to Villarreal for £4 million. Now, with just another 35 Liga games in the tank, he's signed for United.
In the middle of that move to El Madrigal back in January of 2015, he was also making an impression on the international stage. Drafted into the Ivory Coast squad on the back of a handful of Espanyol outings, he made his international debut in a friendly against Nigeria on January 11. Less than a month later, he was a key part of a side that lifted the African Cup of Nations in Gambia, featuring in all six games and scoring a penalty in the shoot-out in the final against Ghana.
Villarreal signed him as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Gabriel Paulista - and it's worked out quite well for them. Bailly was a member of a defence which kept 17 clean sheets in La Liga this season and he was vital in Marcelino's men's run to the semi-final of the Europa League. Some feel, too, that if he'd not been injured for the trip to Liverpool, that may have been a run to the final.
Tall, quick, strong, young, versatile. Five words which will excite United fans and which suggest Bailly has all the necessary characteristics to be a success under Mourinho at the club. Not only did he replace Gabriel at Villarreal; he was an improvement on the Brazilian. There's a strong case to be made that he will prove much more suited to the Premier League than his predecessor, too.
What's perhaps been most impressive in his short career is his knack of turning up for the big occasions. In just his second game for Villarreal - and only his seventh in La Liga - he played like a veteran in a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. This season he kept clean sheets against Atletico Madrid at home and away, but his stand out performance, once again, came against Real. He played a large part of a 1-0 win over Rafa Benitez's side with a dislocated shoulder, but displayed super versatility to fill in at right-back, keeping Cristiano Ronaldo and then Gareth Bale at arm's length.
But there are doubts as well, which could be why Barcelona reportedly decided not to follow up an opportunity to sign him. Technically he's very good, although he's often been guilty of over-playing - which Fernando Torres gleefully exposed 14 months ago. And while few would argue he's come a long way from the player who looked like Bambi on ice in his very first Espanyol performance, eyebrows have been raised in Spain at just how much he has been sold for, given his lack of tried and tested experience. Given the success of Anthony Martial, United may not be so inclined to worry.
Given Daley Blind has been deployed as a makeshift central defender for the majority of the past season, you have to imagine Bailly will slot straight into the side, partnering Chris Smalling, with Luke Shaw at left-back and, as things stand, Matteo Darmian as the other full-back.
Centre-back is a position where United have struggled for depth under Louis van Gaal and, considering the money invested in the deal, the obvious conclusion to draw is that Bailly will instantly command a first team spot. His physical attributes stand him in good stead for a Mourinho side and if he and Smalling can strike up a partnership even half as good as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's was, United will be on to something.
As for the rest of the side, that's up for interpretation. The summer is long and there's plenty of business to be done yet. Bailly is the first in the door; he won't be the last.
Goal profiles the 22-year-old, assessing his strengths and weaknesses and where he potentially could fit in when Mourinho sets about naming his starting line-up for the first game of next season...
Bailly is a man who clearly knows how to make an impression. Five years ago, Emilio Montagut spotted him at a youth tournament in Burkina Faso and hurriedly organised a move to Espanyol. Five Liga appearances and three years later, he was off to Villarreal for £4 million. Now, with just another 35 Liga games in the tank, he's signed for United.
In the middle of that move to El Madrigal back in January of 2015, he was also making an impression on the international stage. Drafted into the Ivory Coast squad on the back of a handful of Espanyol outings, he made his international debut in a friendly against Nigeria on January 11. Less than a month later, he was a key part of a side that lifted the African Cup of Nations in Gambia, featuring in all six games and scoring a penalty in the shoot-out in the final against Ghana.
Villarreal signed him as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Gabriel Paulista - and it's worked out quite well for them. Bailly was a member of a defence which kept 17 clean sheets in La Liga this season and he was vital in Marcelino's men's run to the semi-final of the Europa League. Some feel, too, that if he'd not been injured for the trip to Liverpool, that may have been a run to the final.
Tall, quick, strong, young, versatile. Five words which will excite United fans and which suggest Bailly has all the necessary characteristics to be a success under Mourinho at the club. Not only did he replace Gabriel at Villarreal; he was an improvement on the Brazilian. There's a strong case to be made that he will prove much more suited to the Premier League than his predecessor, too.
What's perhaps been most impressive in his short career is his knack of turning up for the big occasions. In just his second game for Villarreal - and only his seventh in La Liga - he played like a veteran in a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. This season he kept clean sheets against Atletico Madrid at home and away, but his stand out performance, once again, came against Real. He played a large part of a 1-0 win over Rafa Benitez's side with a dislocated shoulder, but displayed super versatility to fill in at right-back, keeping Cristiano Ronaldo and then Gareth Bale at arm's length.
But there are doubts as well, which could be why Barcelona reportedly decided not to follow up an opportunity to sign him. Technically he's very good, although he's often been guilty of over-playing - which Fernando Torres gleefully exposed 14 months ago. And while few would argue he's come a long way from the player who looked like Bambi on ice in his very first Espanyol performance, eyebrows have been raised in Spain at just how much he has been sold for, given his lack of tried and tested experience. Given the success of Anthony Martial, United may not be so inclined to worry.
Given Daley Blind has been deployed as a makeshift central defender for the majority of the past season, you have to imagine Bailly will slot straight into the side, partnering Chris Smalling, with Luke Shaw at left-back and, as things stand, Matteo Darmian as the other full-back.
Centre-back is a position where United have struggled for depth under Louis van Gaal and, considering the money invested in the deal, the obvious conclusion to draw is that Bailly will instantly command a first team spot. His physical attributes stand him in good stead for a Mourinho side and if he and Smalling can strike up a partnership even half as good as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's was, United will be on to something.
As for the rest of the side, that's up for interpretation. The summer is long and there's plenty of business to be done yet. Bailly is the first in the door; he won't be the last.
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