Manchester United have completed the surprise signing of Villarreal defender Eric Bailly…but who is this Ivorian centre-back?
The 22-year-old is certainly an unknown quantity to many United fans, but he has played a key role in Villarreal’s semi-final run in the Europa League, as well as helping the Yellow Submarine qualify for the Champions League next season after finishing fourth in La Liga.
However, Bailly cemented himself as one of the first names on Marcelino’s team-sheet and made up for a delayed start when he arrived in the country in 2011 as an Espanyol player.
The centre-back had to wait ten months to secure a work permit after arriving in Barcelona, before waiting another ten months to make his debut for Espanyol’s B team in Segunda Division B (the third tier of Spanish football).
But 2015 was the year that changed everything for Bailly. He played every game as the Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations in January, before making the move to Villarreal in the same month as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Gabriel.
The Ivorian was expected to start on the bench for the Yellow Submarine, but a serious injury to Mateo Musacchio meant that the 22-year-old became a regular alongside Victor Ruiz in the heart of the Villarreal defence, and he has not looked back since.
Although Musacchio’s recovery meant that Bailly has been rotated in and out of the side this season, he has still been a regular fixture, making 35 appearances in all competitions this year.
Strengths:
The Ivorian is strong, quick and good in the air – all the qualities that José Mourinho likes in a defender. Bailly’s strength means he’s adept at shielding and holding the ball away from attackers, while his speed means that he has the pace to get back and make recovery tackles.
His positioning is also solid, as evidenced by the 2.4 interceptions he makes on average per game, and he can also play at right-back and left-back, as evidenced on four occasions this season.
A 78.4% passing percentage indicates that while he might not be the best natural passer on the pitch, his relative youth and inexperience means that he can be moulded into a ball-playing defender if needed – something Mourinho might aim to do in the future.
Weaknesses:
Despite the progress he has shown since joining Villarreal, Bailly is still quite raw as a player, shown by his disciplinary record this season. 11 cautions and one sending off shows that the 22-year-old lacks a cool head at times, while his decision making is still quite patchy, but that is understandable given the Ivorian has only played one full La Liga season.
Bailly’s range of passing also has to be improved, with his preference to play a simple ball to his partner quite noticeable. If he is to play with Chris Smalling in the centre of defence, that will certainly have to change, given the Maidstone Maldini’s passing also isn’t the best.
Which United player is he similar to?
If there was one player that we could compare Bailly to, it would be Marcos Rojo. Both men are quick, strong, good in the air and quite aggressive, but both are also prone to the odd mistake. But with Bailly’s age, it can definitely be said that the Ivorian can improve under the tutelage of Mourinho – one of the world’s finest managers.
