Villarreal are in ‘serious, serious trouble’ with one La Liga expert baffled by the club’s decision to bring Eric Bailly back to La Liga only a few months after Premier League giants Manchester United terminated his contract.
During the January transfer window, a club who appear to have lost sight of themselves – formerly a destination for Europe’s best young talents and now a retirement home for fading stars – seized the opportunity to put things right.
Sevilla’s three January signings – and that includes Manchester United duo Hannibal Mejbri and Mateo Mejia – are all aged 21 or under.
Compare that to Villarreal, a team who fell into similar traps as Sevilla yet appear to be chewing thruogh their own legs in an attempt to escape. In Eric Bailly, a nearly-30-year-old centre-half who’s last few seasons as a Manchester United player were marred by injury, Villarreal have only increased the average age of an already crumbling squad, much to the confusion of La Liga expert David Cartlidge.
Former Manchester United man returns to La Liga
“If you look at that Villarreal squad, it’s old. It’s aged,” Cartlide explains on the excellent On The Continent podcast.
“And there was a point in the summer when (former manager) Quique Setien kind of said; ‘We need to move on here from what we have. This is an ageing squad. I need players to carry out my style. Can you bring them in?’
“Villarreal stalled. They decided to keep the older heads around. There’s a red flag there. Setien was gone soon after saying you’re going to have massive problems down the line.
“And here we are now with Villarreal in serious, serious trouble. (They have) an old squad, with players who should have been moved on a while ago.
“And to make matters worse, they brought Eric Bailly back which is just another red flag.”
Relegation battle awaits Eric Bailly
Bailly made his name at Villarreal. He secured that £30 million move to Manchester United thanks to a superb 2015/16 campaign at the Castellon coast. That, however, is nearly a decade ago now, the Ivorian returning older, slower, and with an injury record that would make Anthony ‘matchstick’ Martial as fit as Bruno Fernandes.
Bailly played only eight games during a dismal spell at Besiktas after Man United terminated his contract in September. Villarreal are his third club of the season already.
The Yellow Sumbarines are 15th in the table, sinking fast and only four points above the relegation zone.
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