Arsenal make audacious offer to sign out-of-favour Man Utd star

The January transfer window is in full swing and managers are working hard on strengthening their squads and identifying targets for the summer so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest rumours. Today, Arsenal are linked with Eric Bailly…

Arsenal have made an audacious offer to sign Eric Bailly on loan but unsurprisingly Manchester United have knocked back their advances for the defender, according to the Daily Mail.

Bailly joined United from Villarreal in a £30m deal in the summer of 2016 but after an encouraging start to life at Old Trafford, the centre-back has struggled to secure regular first team football over the past two seasons.

Having made just 18 appearances in all competitions last campaign, Bailly has found himself on the sidelines too often again this season as he’s started just one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s seven games in charge and has featured in just 4 of United’s last 18 Premier League games.

The Ivory Coast international has just 18 months left to run on his contract and although United have the option to extend the deal by a further two years, the Daily Mail says the club have decided to delay any decision until a new permanent manager is put in place in the summer.

The uncertainty over Bailly long-term future has alerted Arsenal and the newspaper says the Gunners have now approached Man Utd and offered to sign the 24-year-old on an initial loan with a view to making the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

Unai Emery is in the market for defensive reinforcements after seeing Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin both ruled out for at least six months with cruciate knee ligament injuries and the Arsenal boss is seemingly keen to lure Bailly to the Emirates.

However, unsurprisingly, the Daily Mail says Man Utd have already knocked back Arsenal’s cheeky offer as they don’t want to lose Bailly this month and they have no intention of strengthening a rival club.

Arsenal and Man Utd sit level on points in the Premier League table and are battling to finish in the top four while they also face-off at the Emirates in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night.

READ–> Arsenal transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

Therefore, it would make no sense for United to lend Bailly to Arsenal so Emery is going to have to look elsewhere in his search for defensive reinforcements this month.