Per the Express, an arrival could signal the exit of the Ivorian. That would come as a shock given the Ivorian signed a new contract just two months ago. Nevertheless, that may have been to ensure Man Utd are in a strong bargaining position if they decide to sell.
The Express think this could be the case after citing comments from Eurosport’s Dean Jones when speaking on the Football Terrace podcast.
“It even came as a surprise to me, that [Bailly’s] contract, because the word had previously been he wasn’t going to be staying,” said Jones. “As it is, I’m told Bailly might still leave and may end up going back to Villarreal. That’s something to look for going forward.
“It seemed the case back in January that Pau Torres and Jules Kounde of Sevilla were the ones they liked. Towards the end of the season, I was told it was Torres they wanted over Kounde
“They’ve done all due their due diligence on him, all the scouting done, so it’s now a case of budget. They still don’t know what they’ve got to spend overall in this market.”