Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has ‘lost the confidence’ of Marseille boss Igor Tudor, with his loan deal at the French club not working out.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who say the defender is out of the picture with the Ligue 1 club and the conditions of his purchase clause are unlikely to help him earn a place back.
They explain that the centre-back is not injured or suspended and therefore fully available but still ‘plays so little’.
He was on the bench for the win over Rennes and has only featured in 20% of the available minutes in the league this season.
Marseille believe his loan is ‘not a great sporting success’ and there is ‘little chance’ that situation will improve by the end of the season.
Asked about the situation yesterday, Tudor ‘did not cuddle’ his player, instead insisting that his absence is a technical choice. He made it clear that he ‘no longer has time’ for the player, preferring others in his squad who are the ‘best and fittest’.
That came about after Bailly told Tudor he was ready but that was ‘obviously not the case’ and Tudor was less than impressed.
Confidence in him was already thin but that experience lessened it considerably and forced Bailly down the pecking order.
Indeed, it seems he would prefer not to sign the defender permanently from Manchester United if that can be avoided.
There is a ‘mandatory clause’ included in his current loan deal but that only activates if the defender plays half of the games in Ligue 1 and Marseille ‘qualify directly’ for the Champions League.
One minute is equal to a game so ten more appearances between now and the end of the season would mean half of the conditions for the clause will be met.
That won’t happen, though, as both Tudor and those in charge of the club ‘do not want to be bound’ to the player. They expected more from the defender and the plan now is to ship him back to Manchester United in the summer, or renegotiate the deal.
