Eric Bailly on the brink of ditching Old Trafford for another Premier League team

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Eric Bailly has had a frustrating time at Old Trafford this season and two of Manchester United’s Premier League rivals are willing to bring it to an end, according to the Daily Record.

The London pairing of Tottenham and Arsenal are named by the outlet as the two clubs interested in a deal for the Ivorian centre-half.

Spurs have a strong central defensive pairing in the form of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen but both of those players are in the final year of their contracts and Daniel Levy may be on the lookout for a cost-effective replacement in the event of one, or both, of their departures.

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Arsenal meanwhile have had a flurry of incoming defenders since the arrival of Sven Mislintat and Unai Emery to the club as Head of Recruitment and manager respectively this summer, but have conceded 15 goals in the league this season, three times what division-leading pair Manchester City and Liverpool have.

They also, it’s claimed, have “reaffirmed” their interest in taking Bailly south.

The Côte d’Ivoire international, 24, came to English football from Villareal in Spain in a €35m deal in the summer before last, but has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho and has been publicly criticised by the Portuguese for mistakes. He has started just five times this season and is said to be “frustrated” with the state of affairs.

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In contrast, Swede Victor Lindelof has been given the backing of the manager in recent weeks, nailing down a starting role at the heart of the defense alongside Chris Smalling.

There’s nothing to suggest that his club is ready to sell, though, with the club’s central defensive ranks looking thin. Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo are, it would seem, out of favour entirely and therefore only Bailly is available to cover the favoured pairing.

One half that pairing could be on its way out of the club in the summer, with the Sun claiming today that Everton are interested in bringing Chris Smalling to Merseyside. The 29-year-old’s deal expires next summer and would be available as a free agent.

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