Eric Bailly Says He Was Going to Manchester City Before Jose Mourinho Phone Call

Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly has revealed he was close to joining Manchester City last summer before he got a call from Jose Mourinho.

Bailly moved to Old Trafford ahead of the campaign from Villarreal and has largely been impressive during his time in the Premier League.

But the Ivory Coast international has admitted things could have been different for him, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror:

"

I was in the Ivory Coast, I got called from a ­Portuguese number, he ­introduced himself but I just didn’t ­believe it at first. Before I came to Man United, it was City who had been watching me. In my mind, I was going there. But then everything changed. 

It felt like Mourinho was the one who really wanted me. He showed more interest, he rang me and that’s why I’m at Man United. Man City contacted my agent, Barcelona as well were talking to my agent, but they weren’t as interested in me as Mourinho. He really pushed for the move.

"

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United spent big money to bring in the defender, parting with around £30 million to get their man. And it's easy to see why Mourinho was so keen to lure him to Old Trafford.

In the first few months of the season in particular, the 23-year-old was among the best defenders in the Premier League. Few centre-forwards got the better of him in one-on-one battles, while Bailly relished the physicality of English football's top flight.

Indeed, when the ex-Villarreal man has been absent with injury issues this term, the Red Devils have never looked quite as secure.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News was concerned when the defender went down with a knock in the 2-0 win over Burnley on Sunday:

While United may have underachieved in the Premier League this term, the Red Devils' defensive record is only bettered by Tottenham Hotspur, conceding just 24 goals in their 32 matches. Bailly has been crucial to that effort.

City could have certainly done with him at the back. Pep Guardiola's side have never looked completely cohesive in defence, with 11 more goals conceded than their rivals from the same amount of matches. 

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With Vincent Kompany injured for much of the season, the likes of John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and even Aleksandar Kolarov have been tasked with forging a solid partnership in defence. It's been a struggle for all concerned.

As noted by James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph earlier on in the campaign, there have been certain games when teams have found it easy to get past City:

Although Bailly wouldn't have solved all of the issues that have hampered Guardiola's side this season, his presence would have helped. City place great emphasis on playing out from defence, but having a player like the centre-back who is aggressive, dynamic and a regular winner of battles would have been a big help.

United will be delighted they've got their man, and while his form has fluctuated lately, Bailly possesses every attribute needed to be a mainstay in Manchester. Those who frequent Old Trafford have Mourinho to thank that he's on the red side of the divide.