Tottenham wanted to sign Manchester United star Eric Bailly before he signed new contract
Speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, reputed journalist Duncan Castles has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur were planning a raid on Premier League rivals Manchester United for the transfer of Eric Bailly before he signed a new contract with the club.
Bailly, 26, has been with Manchester United since the summer of 2016, having arrived from La Liga outfit Villarreal. While a brilliantly solid defender on his day, the Ivory Coast international has struggled with injuries during his time at Old Trafford.
Heading into the summer transfer window, his future at Manchester United had been cast into doubts as he was about to enter the final year of his contract. However, all those speculations were put to rest when Bailly signed a new contract with the Red Devils, extending his stay at the club till 2024. (h/t BBC)
And Duncan Castles has now revealed that had he not signed a new contract with Manchester United, Tottenham would have made a move for Eric Bailly. Although, that would have been subject to the Lilywhites offloading Davinson Sanchez in the summer.
“Bailly, interestingly enough we can tell you, was of interest to Tottenham Hotspur for next season if he didn’t sign that new contract, if Manchester United had gone a different route, and if they were able to offload Davinson Sanchez.”
Bailly was signed at Manchester United by Jose Mourinho and Tottenham wanting to sign him when the Portuguese was still at the club would have made sense, given their past working relationship and his experience in England.
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Any such move, though, is pretty much dead in the water now that Tottenham have sacked Mourinho and Bailly signed a new contract at United.
