Man Utd defender joins French club on loan

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has made the switch to Marseille on loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

The Ivorian was impressive for the Red Devils during pre-season, but he was still down the pecking order for manager Erik ten Hag.

Hence, it was anticipated that he could head for the exit door, and Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed his loan transfer to Marseille.

The Ligue 1 club will cover his wages over the course of the season and must sign him permanently if they qualify for the Champions League.

United currently have Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as their regular central defenders.

Varane and Martinez should be the first-choice going forward. Maguire and Lindelof could be used in rotation in the Cup matches.

Meanwhile, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are the other centre-backs in the squad, but they are expected to be offloaded very soon.

Jones has received offers from abroad, but he appears keen on staying in England. He may need to drop to the Championship.