Manchester United could be set for something of a clearout this summer, with manager Erik ten Hag seeking to shift the 'deadwood' in order to truly put his stamp on things in order to continue the improvements that have been made during his Old Trafford tenure to date.
With the Red Devils having had a succession of permanent managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, that chopping and changing in the dugout has led to a mish-mash of players in the current squad, all reflecting the different styles and approaches of that string of coaches.
Unsurprisingly, there are a number of figures who are simply unsuited to Ten Hag's way of doing things or have perhaps outstayed their welcome at the club, with long-serving defender Eric Bailly once such asset who should seemingly be shown the door.
According to 90min, the Ivory Coast international – who is currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Marseille – is said to be one of a number of players who could be allowed to leave at the end of the season, with the erratic centre-back undoubtedly surplus to requirements at the Theatre of Dreams.
If the 28-year-old is to move on ahead of next season, it would seemingly be a long time coming, with United no doubt keen to shift the 6 foot 2 dud off their wage bill following what has been a rather underwhelming seven years of service.
What salary is Eric Bailly on?
While the former Villarreal man is currently having his salary paid by those at the Stade Velodrome, prior to the start of the current campaign the 44-cap brute had been earning a reported £80k-per-week in Manchester since his arrival back in 2016, with that equating to roughly £24.9m with regard to wages that have been dished out by the club, as per FBref.
Factoring in the initial £30m fee that Jose Mourinho sanctioned to bring the defender to England in the first place, Bailly's overall cost stands at a rather mammoth £54.9m, with supporters likely to feel that such an investment has not been justified.
The typically "rash" figure – as per pundit Trevor Sinclair – has made just 113 appearances during his spell with the Red Devils to date, with that working out to a rather measly average of around 18 games per season, prior to his temporary move to France.
A frankly unreliable presence due to injury, the one-time Espanyol man has never been able to nail down a regular role at the club, with the defender's strugglers leading Sinclair to suggest that he's "always got a mistake in him".
Potentially to even the player's own confusion, Bailly was bizarrely handed a new three-year deal by former chief executive Ed Woodward back in April 2021, with the club subsequently admitting in private that such a move was a 'mistake', according to Manchester Evening News.
The defender's time at the club also turned somewhat toxic last year as he appeared to hit out at his teammates – namely club captain Harry Maguire – due to his own lack of game time, although rarely has the experienced dud warranted a more prominent role.
That point has been reinforced during his time out on loan, with Bailly again hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons after receiving a seven-game ban for a kung-fu-style kick on an opponent in the Coupe de France clash with lower-league side, Hyeres.
Such brainless, wild play will not have done the peripheral figure's chance of returning the fold under Ten Hag next season any good, with it about time that United showed their ruthless streak by letting the wage burner depart.