African Players and Manchester United – Will Eric Bailly change the trend?

While African players have been part of Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City’s history, we can’t say that about Manchester United.

Although, they’ve had African players in the past like South African Quinton Fortune, Cameroonian Eric Djemba-Djemba, Angolan Mateus Alberto Contreiras Gonçalves (Manucho) and Senegalese Mame Biram Diouf , they were more of ‘role players’ and would not be remembered as one of the players whose efforts can’t be forgotten in a rush.

Quinton Fortune was signed from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £1.5 million on 1 August 1999 as a cover for Ryan Giggs. He played a total of 75 Premier League games for Manchester United in seven years as his role was reduced to bench due to the qualities in the squad.

Eric Djemba-Djemba joined United in 2003 from Nantes for a fee of £3.5 million as Roy Keane’s replacement but left the club 2 years after his move as he couldn’t find the form that made Sir Alex Ferguson signed him. He only played 20 League games for Manchester United.

Manucho played just 3 games in Manchester United’s jersey, 1 in Premier League, 1 in the League cup and the last was for reserve team.

Although, injury and work permit affected his stay at Old Trafford the tall Angolan could not force his way into the team when he was healthy which led to him going out on loan before his permanent move to Real Valladolid two years after he joined the Red devils.

Mame Biram Diouf joined Manchester United from Molde in 2009, was loaned back to Molde and then to Blackburn Rovers before eventually giving playing time at Old Trafford. Played 5 Premier League games for Manchester United and scored just 1 goal. He left Manchester United for Hannover 96 in 2012.

There is no way the impact of these players would be compared to that of Didier Drogba, John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien for Chelsea, Kanu Nwankwo, Lauren Etame Mayer, Kolo Toure for Arsenal, Samuel Eto’o for Barcelona and Yaya Toure for Manchester City.  Because unlike the players listed above who didn’t just played more games for their clubs than the Manchester United players listed above, they were important for their clubs during their trophy hauls.

Eric Bertrand Bailly is set to be announced as the 6th African player to join Manchester United after Quinton Fortune, Eric Djemba-Djemba, John Mikel Obi, Mateus Alberto Contreiras Gonçalves (Manucho) and Mame Biram Diouf. Although, Mikel was eventually sold to Chelsea before he kicked a ball for Manchester United, none of these guys played football or enjoyed their stay at Manchester United.

A lot of reasons like the timing of African Cup of Nations, Ferguson doesn’t fancy African players….. had been given as to why African players and Manchester United don’t go in the same sentence, but one thing that is sure is Bailey would not be the only African player Manchester United will sign in coming years.

As long as Jose Mourinho and his love for players with physicality remains, more of them will join the club, but will they be on the pitch to make significant impact? time will tell.

Its a thing to sign a player, its another thing for the player to fit into your plan and be relevant.