West Ham is reportedly monitoring Ivorian international Eric Bailly to deal with their defensive issues.
According to the Daily Mail report, the 28-year-old centre-back is expected to join The Hammers on a loan move.
The David Moyes-coached side is experiencing major injury blows and had to use their right-back, Ben Johnson, as one of their centre-backs in their last two opening Premier League games. The situation has forced Moyes to search for a centre-back, and a short-term deal for Bailly could be the right way to go.
Moyes has called on the club’s hierarchy to beef up the squad before the transfer window ends on Thursday, 1 September 2022.
Bailly hasn’t featured for the Red Devils this campaign after the acquisition of Lisandro Martinez and is unlikely to get his chance to play anytime soon. Moving away from Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United side would benefit all parties.
Meanwhile, Sevilla, AC Milan, AS Roma and Fulham are reported to have made offers for the services of the talented defender also on loans. However, Marseille and Monaco are said to have joined the race for the signature of Bailly on a permanent move.
Bailly began his professional career at Spain’s Espanyol before transferring to Villarreal. He spent two seasons at the club before signing for United in June 2016 for a reported fee of £30 million, signing a four-year contract with the option of an additional two.
He made his Red Devils debut on 7 August in a 2–1 win against Leicester City at Wembley Stadium to win the FA Community Shield and was named Man of The Match. He was again the Man of The Match on his Premier League debut a week later, a 3–1 win at Bournemouth.
The defender made his international debut for the Ivory Coast in 2015 and helped them win that year’s Africa Cup of Nations. He played in two different African tournaments and the 2020 Olympics.
