Manchester United defenders Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe are set to leave the club this summer, reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano reports.
The Red Devils are likely to reinforce multiple positions during the upcoming transfer window, and this is likely to coincide with the departure of out-of-favour players.
Bailly was considered as the fifth-choice centre-back during the back end of last season, and Romano claims that a decision has been made to sanction his sale.
The Ivorian won’t be the only defender leaving this summer. Axel Tuanzebe will also be shown the exit door after spending the previous campaign away on loan.
Our view:
Bailly signed a new long-term contract with United in April last year, and he talked about the prospect of becoming a regular starter under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, nothing of that sort happened last season. With Raphael Varane’s arrival from Real Madrid, he dropped further down the pecking order with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof also preferred ahead of him.
His situation only became worse with Solskjaer’s dismissal. Under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, he did not make a single appearance during the back end of the season. Phil Jones also managed a few appearances.
Hence, there are no surprises that Bailly is heading for a summer exit. The same could be said for Tuanzebe, who has not lived up to his expectations since his promising loan stint at Aston Villa in 2018/19.
The 24-year-old was loaned out again to Villa last summer, but hardly played before joining Napoli on a temporary deal in January. He suffered the same fate with the Serie A outfit with just two appearances.
The Gunners may not recoup much funds from the duo this summer, but it should aid their pursuit of a new central defender. Ajax’s Jurrien Timber appears the prime target for new manager Erik ten Hag.
