Jose Mourinho identified one Manchester United player he believed had the potential to reach elite status.
Eric Bailly during his time at Man United(Image: Getty Images)
As he grinned about the prospects of one of Manchester United’s new recruits in 2016, Jose Mourinho declared that his player had the potential to become ‘one of the best around’.
Such glowing endorsements are uncommon from the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, who currently manages Fenerbahce, with his belief in the defender crystal clear. However, despite following his manager’s trajectory to some extent, the star Mourinho backed for greatness failed to reach such lofty expectations.
This summer, Eric Bailly finds himself without a club at 31 and is battling to secure a new team for the upcoming campaign.
Mourinho captured the Europa League and Carabao Cup during his stint at Old Trafford, but departed amid acrimony before returning to England with Tottenham, then moving to Roma and now Turkey. Yet for a brief period in Manchester, Mourinho was certain he possessed a remarkable talent.
“Eric has the potential to become one of the best around,” Mourinho declared about the Ivorian centre-half.
The Reds splashed out £30million to bring Bailly from Villarreal, marking the first acquisition of the Mourinho era, following two outstanding campaigns in La Liga. He launched his United journey brilliantly, claiming the Community Shield in a 2-1 triumph over Leicester and earning man of the match honours a week later in a victory against Bournemouth.
The club awarded him Player of the Month for August. He managed only 70 league outings during that period and departed two years ago as a free agent.
Bailly lasted merely three months at Besiktas before his deal was cancelled. He returned to Villarreal but parted ways with the Spanish side when his contract expired last month.
Whilst seeking fresh employment, he has been proposed to Serie A outfits Cagliari and Cremonese, according to Calciomercato. However, both clubs have declined the opportunity to recruit the former United defender due to his salary expectations, believed to be around £860,000 for the campaign.
Recent years have represented quite the decline for Bailly, who appeared destined for greatness when he joined Mourinho at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, the duo maintain a close bond as Bailly revealed the chat he had after contacting the renowned manager following his dismissal at Tottenham.
“When he [Mourinho] was sacked from Tottenham I sent him a message and when he signed for Roma I spoke to him on the phone,” Bailly told The Times. “We had a few laughs. He’s a coach I’ve always been good with. Hopefully, we’ll meet in the future.”
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