Olympique Marseille have not given up on the idea of recruiting Manchester United misfit Eric Bailly on a permanent deal this summer.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth claims the Ligue 1 club are pushing to land the Ivorian’s signature before the transfer window closes.
Marseille are eager to sign the 29-year-old centre-back, who spent last season on loan at the Orange Velodrome.
Although they are yet to formalise their interest in the defender, who is also attracting attention from Fulham, Man United expect to receive an official bid from the French club soon.
While on loan with Marseille, the Africa Cup of Nations winner spent a chunk of his time on the sidelines as he struggled with injury and suspension.
Bailly featured 23 times across all competitions for Igor Tudor’s side, putting in some impressive shifts, although he made no telling contribution to the team.
It appears he did enough to convince the Marseille hierarchy that he is worth keeping permanently, and Man United will be more than willing to cut him loose this summer.
Bailly is also open to the transfer, and it is understood that personal terms between the player and Marseille will not be a problem.
The former Villarreal centre-half has just one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, although Man United have the option to extend his stay for a further 12 months.
However, they are unlikely to activate the clause given that Bailly’s career at the Theatre of Dreams is dead in the water, considering he is not in Erik ten Hag’s long-term plans.
Man United will welcome the chance to recoup a fee from Bailly’s expected departure as they continue to raise cash to fund a move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
The Red Devils could do with someone of the Moroccan’s profile in the middle of the park, considering how their opening two games of the season have panned out.
There are also rumours linking the Premier League giants with a move for Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo, who is also a target for Serie A giants AS Roma.
