When the news broke that Villarreal defender Eric Bailly was on the verge of signing for Manchester United, many questioned his reported £30 million transfer to Old Trafford.
Who is he? How good is the Ivory Coast international? Can he adapt to life in the Premier League?
First things first, Eric Bailly was born in Bingerville, Ivory Coast and was raised in the same place as Manchester City forward Wilfried Bony.
Bailly's talents were spotted by Espanyol's Emilio Montagut during a youth tournament organised by Spanish company Promoesport in Burkina Faso
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He began his professional career at Espanyol at the age of 17-years-old and worked his way through the youth ranks at Blanquiazule.
The centre-back made 21 appearances for Espanyol B team and quickly made his way into the first team, making his professional debut at the age of 20 against Real Sociedad.
Within four months of making his La Liga debut, Bailly had secured a 5.7 million move to Villarreal. His unbelievable rise for a 22-year-old sums up how capable he is of playing Premier League football.
Although he has the talent to make it in the Premier League, Bailly's disciplinary problems may be an issue if he strikes a deal with Manchester United.
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The Villarreal centre-back received 10 yellow cards and one red in La Liga last season. Bailly will need to adapt to Premier League life quickly. as the physical aspect of English football may test his temperament.
Despite his poor disciplinary record in recent months, Bailly has undoubtedly got the talent to succeed under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United as he edges closer to the £30 million deal.
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Bailly has the physical attributes needed to become a success at Old Trafford, with his pace and strength when running with the ball some of his biggest traits. FACT - the 22-year-old was dribbled by less often than any other regular centre-back at a top-four club in Spain.
News broke earlier that Eric Bailly was in Manchester this afternoon undergoing a medical at Carrington Training Ground.
Then reports on Tuesday night confirmed that Eric Bailly had passed his medical at Manchester United:
Spanish publication SPORT reported that Barcelona were close to signing the Villarreal defender for 25 million euros plus incentives, but then decided against it.
Barcelona may have pulled out of a deal involving Bailly but his representatives expect the deal with Manchester United to be finalised by Friday.
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Can he become a hit at Manchester United?
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