Manchester United have completed the signing of Eric Bailly for a reported £30 million from Spanish side Villarreal.
Bailly follows in the footsteps of Anthony Martial in being another young player who United have paid overs for.
While the signing of Martial proved to be one of Louis Van Gaal’s few good decisions at Old Trafford, the arrival of Bailly is one that comes at great risk.
Bailly has only made 40 senior appearances in one of Europe’s top leagues and his disciplinary record in La Liga last season shows that of a young man still adapting to life at the top. In his 25 league appearances the centre-back, who also featured on the right side of defence, saw ten yellow cards and one red.
The Ivorian is a solid one-on-one defender but rash challenges and occasional brain failures meant that he wasn’t always Marcelino’s first choice in defence for Villarreal.
What he does bring to England is strength and pace which will see him in good stead against the likes of Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane.
Depending on the side of the fence one is on Bailly’s biggest weakness could also be seen as his biggest strength – he is only 22 years of age.
That youth means he has plenty of years to grow, and he has shown signs that he could become one of the world’s premier defenders. Worryingly for fans of the Red Devils is to become that player he will need game time, and Jose Mourinho’s track record of blooding youngsters has never been good.
The Portuguese tactician has always preferred experience to raw unproven talent and without games in the first team Bailly’s growth will be stunted.
The purchase of Bailly is one that is based in his potential rather than his ability in the here and now. United are not getting a complete defender, they are getting a young man still learning his trade and with stuttering performances in La Liga will need a lot of time to adapt to the English game.
Having been caught out numerous times at Villarreal, the step up in speed may be one which causes the young man trouble. The Spanish game, known more for its technical ability than its pace is one where Bailly could grow into his game, the Premier League will not be.
To improve his abilities Bailly will need to hit the ground running and impress Mourinho from the off, if he does not he could see a lot of his first season on the bench at Old Trafford.
With such a high ceiling £30 million may end up seeming like a bargain in the long run, but as it stands it is yet another expensive gamble from the back rooms of Old Trafford.
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