‘Done’ - Forgotten Man Utd defender hints at transfer departure with cryptic Instagram post

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has posted a cryptic message on social media, seeming to imply he’s set to depart the club.

The centre-back, who is free to leave the club this summer, has been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia in recent days. Bailly has been training by himself at Carrington in the last week and was not named in United’s 31-man squad which flew to America for the club’s pre-season tour. Erik ten Hag is keen to move the player on, with funds needed to complete further transfers.

That appears to be edging closer, with Bailly posting on Instagram what appeared to be confirmation of a transfer being complete. The 29-year-old uploaded a picture of himself at Carrington holding a bag, with the caption ‘done ✅’.

Bailly joined United in 2016 but his seven-year stint at Old Trafford has been plagued by injuries, and he’s played just 70 league matches for the Red Devils during that time. The ex-Villarreal man last featured for United in a 3-1 win over Burnley in December 2021, and was sent out on loan to Marseille last season.

When the players returned to pre-season training a few weeks ago, Bailly was a notable absence, an indicationTen Hag had no intentions of incorporating the Ivory Coast international back into the first-team picture over the summer. Bailly now looks set to follow fellow centre-backs Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe out of United this summer, while former captain Harry Maguire could join him.

Fabrizio Romano tweeted recently claiming there is interest in Bailly from Al Nassr and Al Ettifaq, along with Premier League side Fulham. A move to Al Nassr would see Bailly reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sky Sports reported last week that the Portugal star has discussed a move to Saudi Arabia with his ex-team-mate.