Bailly warns Man Utd: The contract is fine but I want to start

Eric Bailly has warned Manchester United he will only remain at Old Trafford as long as he is a first-team regular, despite last month signing a contract extension.

The centre-back’s new deal keeps him at United until 2024, when his previous contract had been set to expire at the end of next season.

But Bailly suggests that agreement will count for little if he remains on the fringes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

The ex-Villarreal defender, who hopes to face his former club in Wednesday’s Europa League final, has featured in only 20 (33.3 per cent) of United’s 60 games in all competitions so far this season, ranking 19th in the Red Devils squad.

And that mark is roughly par for Bailly’s United career, having appeared in only 105 (35.7 per cent) and started just 92 (31.3 per cent) of the 294 matches the club have played since his 2016 signings.

Injuries have played their part, with knee and groin issues keeping the player out for extended periods over the past five years, but he has been an unused substitute 18 times this term alone.

This season’s 1,590 minutes are Bailly’s most since his debut campaign in England (3,230) but still trail Harry Maguire (4,653) and Victor Lindelof (3,908) by some distance.

We finish the season with a bittersweet feeling. We would have loved to enjoy the season with our fans at the stadium, but now look forward to your full return with great excitement. We have one final left and we promise to do our best to bring the trophy home. pic.twitter.com/jvWJW0ATCp

— Eric Bailly (@ericbailly24) May 23, 2021

“Competition is always good to improve,” Bailly told The Times. “I just say that I want to stay in case I get the chance to play.

“I don’t want to be a starter one game and a substitute for another five.

“If that happens, I will have to look for another solution. The new contract is fine but if I don’t play I will be open to listen to other proposals.”

Only 39 of Bailly’s United outings have come since Solskjaer was appointed in December 2018, in which time the 20-time English champions have played 150 times.

But the defender, who has therefore featured in just 26.0 per cent of the manager’s games, was encouraged by discussions prior to signing the contract extension.

“I spoke to him and he told me he wanted me to stay,” Bailly added.

“The most important thing was not the renewal but the conversation we had: we sat down, we talked and he told me what he wanted from me and that he wanted me to continue.”