Erik ten Hag has revealed that Eric Bailly's impressive second-half performance in Tuesday's 4-0 pre-season win over Liverpool does not effect his Manchester United summer transfer plans.
The Ivory Coast international made his first club appearance since the Red Devils' 3-1 success against Burnley on December 30 as he came on at half-time with United already three goals up in Bangkok. Bailly barely put a foot wrong and stood out as Ten Hag's first game in charge ended with a comprehensive victory.
Despite Bailly's excellent display, United are still closing in on the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax for a fee in the region of £46m. The Red Devils are understood to have submitted an improved bid for the 24-year-old centre-back, which sources claim Ajax are ready to accept.
Meanwhile, MirrorFootball understands Bailly is still one of three central defenders United are trying to offload this summer, with Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones the other two. Ten Hag already has skipper Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof, with Martinez’s arrival giving him four centre-halves from which to choose.
Although the prospect of Martinez being added to the squad could push Bailly even further down the pecking order, Ten Hag is happy to have strong competition for places. He also wants to continue pushing his squad to get even more out of them ahead of their Europa League campaign.
"No, it doesn't give me a headache," said Ten Hag, speaking to the media ahead of Friday's friendly against Melbourne Victory. "I am happy. We need a full squad with a lot of competition because there are lot of games.
Should Eric Bailly stay at Manchester United this season? Let us know in the comments below!
"In the middle [of the season] there is a World Cup. We need a full squad with a lot of competition between the players. We need to push them to a higher level."
As well as Martinez, United are hoping to finalise the signing of free agent Christian Eriksen in the coming days, while they have not given up on their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong. The deal has been held up over deferred wages and bonuses owed to De Jong by Barca, who want to offload the £70m-rated Dutch star to help address their huge financial problems.
Christian Eriksen continues to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the midfielder a free agent after leaving Brentford at the end of the season. Ajax duo Antony and Brian Brobbey are amongst the others to be tipped to join the Red Devils.
