Marseille wanted to sign Bailly from United before the deadline

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Eric Bailly is reportedly among the Manchester United players who is unhappy with his lack of gametime at Old Trafford.

Others, such as Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek, departed on loan during January but Bailly remained at United.

His involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations was a complicating factor and the fact he signed a new contract less than a year ago cannot have helped either.

A report from French outlet L’Equipe claim that Marseille were keen to sign the Ivory Coast international before deadline but nothing came of it.

The report also covered interest from AC Milan, which lingered throughout the month but did not get close to materialising.

Roma were also linked, and they are of course managed by Jose Mourinho, the man who brought Bailly to United back in 2016.

Bailly will be fourth-choice central defender for the remainder of the season. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane have all been absent at various points of the campaign, so there is the prospect he could get a chance to shine if he stays fit.

Phil Jones sits lower than Bailly in the pecking order, and he could have been bound for France as well, with loan interest from Bordeaux.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano told Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel that a deal was in place between the Ligue 1 relegation-battlers and United.

But Jones was not convinced by the proposal and decided to remain at Old Trafford for the remainder of the season.

Losing both injury-prone defenders may well have left Ralf Rangnick short at the back, especially with Axel Tuanzebe loaned out to Napoli last month too.

Time will tell how much gametime either man gets between the now and the end of the season. Rangnick may rotate for the FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough, but he will want to field a strong side in a competition which represents United’s best chance of silverware this season.

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