Manchester United star Eric Bailly told by boss Jose Mourinho he is not for sale
Ivory Coast star only started two matches in the final two months of the season and was benched for the FA Cup Final
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ERIC BAILLY has been told he will NOT be sold by Manchester United this summer.
Jose Mourinho is desperately trying to bolster his backline and has been linked with a host of centre-backs.
Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld and Leicester’s Harry Maguire remain his top targets, while he was surprisingly linked with his old Chelsea defender Gary Cahill today.
That has put the future of several United players up in the air – but say Ivory Coast star Bailly has nothing to worry about.
The 24-year-old fell out of favour last season and only started twice in the final two months of the campaign.
Mourinho was believed to have grown frustrated over the star’s injury niggles and left him completely out of his squad for games against Spurs and Arsenal in April.
The former Villarreal man was then named as a sub for the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea and failed to show up for the club’s player of the year awards due to being unwell.
That led to speculation Bailly, Mourinho’s first signing at Old Trafford upon taking charge in 2016, could be heading out of the exit door.
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MEN have dashed those fears, claiming sources told them “Bailly had no intention of seeking a move but if his ‘punishment’ continued he would have to consider his future”.
The ace has started in all three of United’s pre-season games and looks nailed on to get his place for the Premier League opener against Leicester on August 10.
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Centre-half Marcos Rojo looks the odds-on to depart the club as they aim to make room for a new addition.
The 28-year-old Argentina international is contracted to the Red Devils until 2021 but is currently behind Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the pecking order for a place in defence.
Mourinho has also confirmed right-back Matteo Darmian can leave for the right price.
Discussing the Italian’s future, the United manager said: “Matteo wants to leave and I think when a player wants to leave, if the right offer arrives, you have to try to be human and let the player follow his instinct.
“But not at any price. And, until now, the offers we got for Matteo are not even close to being accepted.”
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