Eric Bailly: 'Jose Mourinho behind my decision to join Manchester United'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 31 July 2016

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly confirms that Manchester City were also interested in signing him, but he selected the Red Devils purely because of Jose Mourinho.

Eric Bailly has claimed that he decided on a move to Manchester United because he preferred the idea of working with Jose Mourinho more so than Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

The rival sides were locked in a two-way battle to sign the defender from Villarreal, with the Red Devils eventually coming out on top when having a £30m bid accepted.

Bailly took advice from former Chelsea star Didier Drogba and another Ivory Coast international in Yaya Toure, before deciding on a switch to Old Trafford in order to link up with the Special One.

"I signed for United because I like Mourinho, as simple as that," Bailly told The Times. "I wanted to play for someone who works very hard. I didn't speak to Pep Guardiola but the 'second' manager called me and Mourinho called me as well.

"He said come and play for me. I prefer Mourinho, in part because of Didier Drogba, who Mourinho worked with. I have played with Didier in the Ivory Coast, he is a friend and he told me, 'Jose did this for me, Jose did that for me'.

"Yaya also called me and said come to City. But once Jose spoke to me and Didier gave me advice, I knew straight away I wanted to play for him."

Bailly, who signed a four-year contract at United, made a total of 47 appearances for Villarreal and has been capped 15 times by Ivory Coast at international level.