Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly finds new club after Besiktas move

Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has spoken out for the first time since re-signing for Villarreal following his exit from Besiktas last week.

The 29-year-old saw his contract at the Turkish club end by mutual agreement after club officials suspended him and four other teammates for “poor performance and incompatibility” just days after the 3-1 defeat to Fenerbahce on December 9.

On Friday, Besiktas announced that Bailly had been let go and a day later he arrived at former club Villarreal, whom he played for before moving to United in 2016. The centre-back has now delivered his first message since moving back to Spain.

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Taking to Instagram, he said: “Bienvenido de nuevo a tu casa”, which translates from Spanish as: ‘I've missed you, groguets!’ Agent Rafaela Pimenta spoke out about Besiktas’ decision to axe her client over the weekend.

"We are shocked and it took us by surprise," she said. "We are preparing our reaction since we know Eric has done nothing wrong. The player's rights are being violated and we will make sure to protect him."

The club statement confirming his exit read: "Eric Bailly’s contract has been terminated by mutual agreement. We wish Eric Bailly success in his career."

Bailly later took to social media so send his thanks to the Besiktas supporters. He posted on X: "A heartfelt thank you to the amazing Besiktas supporters for the warm welcome and support. Although my time here was short, the love I felt from the fans will stay with me forever."

Bailly played 113 games for United between 2016 and 2023, spending his last season out on loan at Marseille. He lifted the Europa