JOSE MOURINHO wants to be reunited with Eric Bailly at Roma, according to reports.
But the Manchester United defender is set to reject the transfer – because he wants to fight for his spot under Erik ten Hag.
Eric Bailly is a summer transfer target for Roma Credit: Getty According to the Daily Mail, the Special One is keen to bolster the Europa Conference League winners’ back line and views Bailly as the ideal candidate.
And it is thought Bailly could enjoy a similar reignition of his career that Chris Smalling has enjoyed at the Stadio Olimpico.
Bailly and Mourinho worked together throughout the Portuguese’s two-and-a-half years as Old Trafford boss, with the £30million man his very first signing in 2016.
The former Espanyol defender, 28, has racked up 113 appearances across all competitions and was part of the side that won the League Cup and Europa League under Mourinho in 2017.
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Atletico consider AXING Griezmann for Ronaldo, Maguire SNUBS Barca move But in recent years he has struggled for form and fitness, dropping him down the pecking order.
And the arrival of Lisandro Martinez in a £57m deal seemed to only hinder his chances further.
However, with new boss Ten Hag in charge, he has given Bailly a chance in pre-season – and he has grasped it with both hands with a series of fine performances, potentially jumping above Victor Lindelof.
And therefore, Bailly is keen to stay put because he believes he still has a future at United.
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United, though, are open to offers and could sell to help raise funds – with further reinforcements still needed before the transfer window closes.
Napoli have been chasing the Ivorian international, especially after losing stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea.
Ten Hag said: “With the number of games, you need more options in offence.
“I think it’s vital if you want to get success, the season is really long. But we also have still time to fill that in.
“This season there are a lot of games, there is a World Cup, so we need more options.
“We have a good team, we need a good squad to get the right results at the end of the season.”
Bailly and Jose Mourinho worked together at Old Trafford Credit: Getty Images – Getty Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
