Manchester United have today confirmed that Eric Bailly has signed a new contract at the club that lasts until the summer of 2024. With reports recently claiming that he may be looking for a move elsewhere, with fitness issues and team selections seeing him not get as much football as he would like, but it is clear he has been given reassurances from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over playing time.

Bailly believes that United should be winning the Europa League trophy this season before mounting a proper title challenge next year.

I’m very happy. This decision is something I didn’t have to think about, I love this club and I love playing for Manchester United. I’m happy and so are my family, everything is good. Now the moment with my injury has passed and I’m fit and feel good, and that’s it. A new contract is like a new challenge and I’m ready for this.

That’s why I say the new contract shows the group has confidence in me – the coach, the staff and the players and, for me, that is very important. And that’s why I made this decision to stay at the club.

For me, it’s the dream to be here. Now it’s my fifth season and I hope to be here a long time. We are in a good position. We have the Europa League and we are second in the league and that is very good. We hope we can win this trophy [Europa League] – it is very important for us and for the fans and for the season. We want to finish well in the Premier League as well, I’m sure we will.

I hope I can be ready and I don’t get any injuries and to be strong and finish the season well. I hope to win the Europa League this season. We will have more challenges next season – hopefully the Champions League – and, for me, my dream is to win the Premier League, that’s my big dream. I believe, I believe. I believe in my team-mates. We are a good, young team. The team wants to improve and that’s very important for the group for next season.

Having signed Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones up to long contracts, despite their regular injury problems, there are some question marks over the logic of giving Bailly a new deal. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the defender has missed over 50 games through injury, which clearly is a worry. His erratic performances can also be a cause for concern. But when he’s at his best and able to get in the team consistently, he’s an excellent option to have and should be looking at replacing Victor Lindelof in the starting XI.