Eric Bailly has suggested he will look for a solution elsewhere if he continues to lack regular action at Manchester United and amid claims the club is chasing two new defenders this summer.

The Ivorian star is likely to start alongside Victor Lindelof in Wednesday’s Europa League final in Gdansk. With skipper Harry Maguire likely to be absent with injury, Bailly should come in from the cold alongside the Swede. Maguire has traveled with the United squad and a late decision will be made on his fitness.

For Bailly, the final could hand him an all-too-rare chance to impress. Bailly was heavily linked with a move away this summer after his agent strongly suggested he was fed up with his lack of game time.

So it came as something of a shock when the former Villarreal man signed a new deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford recently.

However, United continue to be linked with new defenders. The likes of Pau Torres – who they will face tonight – and Raphael Varane are both being strongly linked with a move.

And ahead of the game, Bailly has released an interview stating how he wants to play more. And were United to sign either Torres or Varane, he’s stated that he could still look to move on.

“Competition is always good to improve,” Bailly told The Times. “I just say that I want to stay in case I get the chance to play. I don’t want to be a starter one game and a substitute for another five.

“If that happens I will have to look for another solution.

“The new contract is fine but if I don’t play I will be open to listening to other proposals.”

Bailly admits he was convinced to sign a new deal after a chat with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He states the United boss convinced him to stay.

“I spoke to him and he told me he wanted me to stay,” said Bailly. “The most important thing was not the renewal but the conversation we had. We sat down, we talked and he told me what he wanted from me and that he wanted me to continue.”