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Former Manchester United player Eric Bailly banished by Besiktas

Former Man United defender is among five players to be been dropped from the Besiktas squad due to 'poor performance'

Former Man Utd defender Eric Bailly in action for Besiktas
Former Man Utd defender Eric Bailly in action for Besiktas(Image: Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

Former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has been excluded from the Besiktas squad with the Turkish top-flight side taking action due to “poor performance” from some players.


Vincent Aboubakar, the striker Besiktas signed to replace ex-United loanee Wout Weghorst, has also been banished. Rachid Ghezzal, Jean Onana and Valentin Rosier are the other three players to have suffered the same fate.


Bailly, 29, only joined Besiktas in September. The Ivory Coast international has made five Super Lig appearances for the Istanbul club this season, including the 3-1 defeat to rivals Fenerbahce at the weekend.


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Besiktas said the decision was made because of “poor performance” and “incompatibilities within the team”. A club statement read: “Five players from our Football A Team have been excluded from the squad.

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“Our Football Teams General Coordinator Samet Aybaba 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.”

As a result, Bailly’s time at the club looks to be over less than 100 days after making the move on a free transfer following his exit from Old Trafford. Bailly made 113 appearances for United after joining in a £30million deal from LaLiga side Villarreal in 2013 but his last outing for the club was in the 2021-22 campaign.

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Aboubakar signed for Besiktas in January, returning to Turkey after a spell at Al-Nassr, where he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The 31-year-old arrived as a direct replacement for Weghorst, who spent the second half of last season on loan at United following Ronaldo’s departure.

Besiktas are fifth in the Super Lig and are guaranteed to finish bottom of their Europa Conference League group. They take on Swiss side Lugano on Thursday before returning to league action against Rizespor on Monday.

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