One key area that Villarreal need to address during the winter is in central defence. It was already a problem position for Marcelino Garcia Toral, but with Matteo Gabbia set to return to AC Milan in the next few days, they desperately need reinforcements.
Fortunately, one is soon to arrive. Eric Bailly, who was at the club for the 2015-16 season before going on to join Manchester United, will return in the next 24 hours, as reported by Relevo. The 29-year-old is arriving as a free agent, having terminated his contract at Turkish giants Besiktas earlier this week.
Bailly will bring much-needed experience to the centre-back department for Villarreal, and his arrival will delight Marcelino, who is keen to turn around the Yellow Submarine’s fortunes around in the second half of the season.
Bailly hasn’t been called up by Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations, which greatly benefits Villarreal considering that Aissa Mandi will be heading to the tournament. This departure is likely to mean that another centre-back comes in.
