Eric Bailly: ‘Sancho and Varane can help us win trophies’

Eric Bailly has claimed the signing of Raphael Varane is ‘good for the mentality of the team’, following the Frenchman’s arrival from Real Madrid last week.

Varane’s acquisition is expected to impact the amount of minutes Bailly plays for Manchester United this season, with the new addition dropping him to fourth choice centre-back behind Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Varane.

However, when asked about the club’s recruitment this summer, the Red Devils no.3 insisted the extra squad depth should benefit the team this season.

"Yes, that’s United; we always have good players," the defender told United’s official website. "We have a very strong squad – we have brought in Varane, who has good experience and is a very good player. Ten years, I think he had in Spain, winning many trophies and that is very good for the mentality of the team.

"[Jadon] Sancho is a good young player and has come to help the team. This season, we are all here to try to win trophies.

"I think the guys have good experience. They both know English football. Varane has played a few games against United and many other English clubs and I know he is ready to give everything for the team.”

Bailly has endured a stop-start few years in Manchester due to injury, and said his aim this campaign is to stay fit and hopefully pick up a few winners’ medals.

"For me, this season, the first thing is to be injury-free, to train well and wait for my time," he explained.

"That’s my mentality. With the team, I hope we win many, many trophies. Last season, we played well and were second in the league and we lost in the [Europa League] final to Villarreal, but always, in football, you have another chance and I think this year is one for us to try to win many trophies."

It’s been a busy summer for Bailly who represented Ivory Coast at the Olympics, but the 27-year-old is back training with United and could be in the matchday squad for Sunday’s clash with Southampton.

"It’s really good to be back with the team,” he said. “Before that, I had the Olympics in Tokyo which was a good experience,"

"For me, when you’re a kid, you always want to do something with your country and something like that was a good moment which we enjoyed.

"I scored in the last game but, unfortunately, we lost [it] in the last minute. For me, the most important [thing] is to play with my team-mates and to enjoy. It was my first experience [at the Olympics] and, for me, it was a really good experience, apart from losing [an equaliser] to Spain in the last minute, but, you know, football is like that.

"Now it’s finished. I’m back with the team which has been enjoyable and we have started well in the league," he added. "The first game, we enjoyed so much. The fans were back, which is so important, and we won [against Leeds].”