Eric Bailly has accused Manchester United of preferring English players in an unusual rant regarding his treatment at the club.
The Ivorian is presently on loan at French club Marseille, who have agreed to buy the defender for €5 million as long as particular requirements are met.
Those include Bailly completing a particular number of matches this season and the French club qualifying for the Champions League.
Bailly said while speaking to journalists, “The club should avoid favouring English players and give everyone a chance,” he said.
“[They should] encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritised.
“That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs.
“Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team.
“Luckily [Erik] Ten Hag has a lot of character and I hope he can change that dynamic.”
Bailly spoke very positively of Ten Hag in the discussion and said he spoke to him at the end of last season.
“I was packing my things because my intention was to leave, but he told me he wanted me to stay because he was going to give minutes to everyone,” Bailly said.
“I agreed to do the summer tour with United, and he kept his word, but I don’t want to play every now and then. I want to do it every week and feel important. I want to get my confidence back.”
Bailly has always been a fan favourite at United and is probably one of the most naturally gifted defenders to have graced the club in many years.
However, his injury record, added to moments of hot-headedness and lapses in concentration, meant that he never got a sustained run in the team.
The 28-year-old blames United’s previous managers for that, stating, “I just lacked consistency, because I think I deserved more minutes.”
