Manchester United had high hopes for Eric Bailly, but the defender didn’t quite live up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho’s first summer at Manchester United brought some major additions.
Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were the headline additions, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan arrived after excelling for Borussia Dortmund.
Mourinho’s first signing was much more of an unknown quantity, though, as Eric Bailly joined United from Villarreal.
Bailly arrived with just 35 La Liga appearances under his belt with Espanyol and Villarreal, but Mourinho saw huge potential.
“Eric is a young central defender with great natural talent. He has progressed well to date and has the potential to become one of the best around,” said Mourinho, as quoted by The Mirror.
“We look forward to working with him to help nurture that raw talent and fulfil his potential. Eric is at the right club to continue his development,” he added.
Eric Bailly set for Saudi Arabian move
Bailly struggled with injuries throughout his United career, only managing more than 15 Premier League appearances in a single season on one occasion.
70 Premier League games across six seasons ultimately hampered the Ivorian’s development, and United allowed Bailly to leave in 2023, seven years on from his £30million arrival.
Bailly endured a miserable time with Besiktas, returning to Villarreal after just eight appearances in Türkiye.
Villarreal recently released Bailly, and many were left wondering where the 31-year-old will move next.
Fabrizio Romano now claims that Bailly is set to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al-Najma, who have won promotion to the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Najma are managed by Portuguese coach Mario Silva, who actually played under Mourinho at Porto in the early 2000s.
Bailly will arrive as an experienced head, with Al-Najma looking to establish themselves in the top flight of Saudi football.
Bailly set to battle Cristiano Ronaldo
The move should hand Bailly plenty of playing time, which should appeal to the defender.
This also means Bailly is set to lock horns with United legend Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2025-26 season.
Ronaldo actually told Bailly to move to Saudi Arabia in 2023, having enjoyed the early stages of his career with Al-Nassr.
A reunion at Al-Nassr never materialised, but Bailly is now heading to the Middle East and will battle Ronaldo in the coming months.
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