Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly is close to joining Villarreal a few days after his contract was terminated by Besiktas.
The Turkish side took to their social media account to reveal that they parted ways with the defender due to his inability to give his best in football matches.
Bailly is not the only player that was sent exiled by the Turkish side for poor performance. Vincent Aboubakar, Rachid Ghezzal, Jean Onana, and Valentin Rosier also had their contracts terminated.
Villarreal has been showing interest in the Ivorian defender since last week and will pounce on him as a free agent. Villarreal manager Marcelino is a huge fan of the defender, who left the Spanish giant to join Manchester United in 2016.
The deal to sign Bailly will be for a short period in order to replace Matteo Gabbia, who is moving back to AC Milan in the January transfer window.
If he proves himself to be a world-class player, the Spanish giant is likely to offer him more than a 12-month contract.
Jose Mourinho, who admired the defender a lot, signed him from Villarreal for a fee worth £30 million.
Bailly won the Carabao Cup and the Europa League in his first season at the club, coupled with the Community Shield. However, a number of injuries have hindered his progress over the years.
After failing to break into the Manchester United first team, he was loaned to Olympic Marseille. The French giant showed no interest in signing the player on a permanent deal.
Upon returning to Manchester United in the 2023–24 season, he was still on a 12-month contract and earning £80,000 in weekly wages before he was made available for transfer.
Bailly had talks with his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on his plans to join Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabia Pro League. However, a deal didn't go through, with Bailly opting for a one-year contract to play for Besiktas.
How Besiktas President Hassan Arat and Bailly Agent Rafaela Pimenta Reacted to the Player Contract Termination
In the latest interview, the president claimed the club is looking forward to building an exceptional team, saying, "Our No. 1 priority is to build a better team; we will fill the holes in our squad during the break.”
However, Eric Bailly agent Pimenta was not interested in entertaining Besiktas statement. She said, "We are shocked, and it took us by surprise."
"We are preparing our reaction since we know Eric has done nothing wrong. The player's rights are being violated, and we will make sure to protect him."
Eric Bailly Stats
The defender had made 219 appearances, scoring two goals and creating two assists in all competitions.
He had received 48 yellow cards and seven red cards so far in his career.
He has scored two goals so far, one for Manchester United and the other for Villarreal.
The Turkish side took to their social media account to reveal that they parted ways with the defender due to his inability to give his best in football matches.
Bailly is not the only player that was sent exiled by the Turkish side for poor performance. Vincent Aboubakar, Rachid Ghezzal, Jean Onana, and Valentin Rosier also had their contracts terminated.
Villarreal has been showing interest in the Ivorian defender since last week and will pounce on him as a free agent. Villarreal manager Marcelino is a huge fan of the defender, who left the Spanish giant to join Manchester United in 2016.
The deal to sign Bailly will be for a short period in order to replace Matteo Gabbia, who is moving back to AC Milan in the January transfer window.
If he proves himself to be a world-class player, the Spanish giant is likely to offer him more than a 12-month contract.
Jose Mourinho, who admired the defender a lot, signed him from Villarreal for a fee worth £30 million.
Bailly won the Carabao Cup and the Europa League in his first season at the club, coupled with the Community Shield. However, a number of injuries have hindered his progress over the years.
After failing to break into the Manchester United first team, he was loaned to Olympic Marseille. The French giant showed no interest in signing the player on a permanent deal.
Upon returning to Manchester United in the 2023–24 season, he was still on a 12-month contract and earning £80,000 in weekly wages before he was made available for transfer.
Bailly had talks with his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on his plans to join Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabia Pro League. However, a deal didn't go through, with Bailly opting for a one-year contract to play for Besiktas.
How Besiktas President Hassan Arat and Bailly Agent Rafaela Pimenta Reacted to the Player Contract Termination
In the latest interview, the president claimed the club is looking forward to building an exceptional team, saying, "Our No. 1 priority is to build a better team; we will fill the holes in our squad during the break.”
However, Eric Bailly agent Pimenta was not interested in entertaining Besiktas statement. She said, "We are shocked, and it took us by surprise."
"We are preparing our reaction since we know Eric has done nothing wrong. The player's rights are being violated, and we will make sure to protect him."
Eric Bailly Stats
The defender had made 219 appearances, scoring two goals and creating two assists in all competitions.
He had received 48 yellow cards and seven red cards so far in his career.
He has scored two goals so far, one for Manchester United and the other for Villarreal.