Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has been banished from Besiktas’ squad just months after joining the Turkish outfit from the Red Devils, the club have announced. Bailly joined Besiktas in September but has endured a torrid time.
Bailly was offloaded by United in the summer as part of an overhaul of Erik ten Hag’s squad. The centre-back spent last season on loan at Marseille and hadn't played for the Red Devils since 2021-22.
Besiktas were a willing buyer, with the permanent transfer completed on September 4. However, the 30-year-old’s time with the Turkish giants has not gone to plan.
The SuperLig club announced on Monday that Bailly was one of four players ‘excluded’ from the first-team squad. Former Leicester star Rachid Ghezzal and ex-Porto forward Vincent Aboubakar are also among the five players banished by the struggling outfit.
“Information from our club. Five players from our Football A Team have been excluded from the squad,” a club statement read.
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“Our Football Teams General Coordinator Samet Aybaba; He announced that Vincent Aboubakar, Valentin Rosier, Eric Bailly, Rachid Ghezzal and Jean Onana were excluded from the squad due to poor performance and incompatibility within the team. Our work on the new staff structure continues. We respectfully present it to the public.”
Bailly has made just five league appearances this season. Shoulder and hamstring injuries have limited his impact.
However, the former Villarreal ace started Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Fenerbahce and conceded a penalty. The loss sees Besiktas fall to fifth, while they are bottom of a Conference League group that includes Belgium side Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt and Lugano.
Meanwhile, Bailly’s agent has accused another intermediary of sending the player threatening messages. Speaking to the Mirror, his current representative Severin Bohui said: “He’s not stopped sending him threats, messages and blackmails.
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“He is insinuating Eric owes him some money, because he was part of the people who brokered his move to Besiktas. Therefore Eric should pay him some money.
“I asked Eric if he signed any intermediation contract with this guy, he said no. I also asked the club if they knew this guy or if they asked him to speak to Eric on their behalf, they also said no. Same old story of agents trying to barge in deals.
“One thing is for sure this guy has not stopped harassing Eric. He even sent him a message today after their defeat to Fenerbahce. He’s threatening to send people out to him so I don’t think blocking him will solve the problem. This is more of a security issue than a FIFA one.”
