Report: Villarreal's Eric Bailly passes medical at Manchester United

Eric Bailly is reportedly set to be Jose Mourinho's first signing at Manchester United.

According to Sky Sports, Bailly passed a medical at United, who appears to have won the race for Villarreal's Ivorian centre-back. Interest for the 22-year-old apparently drove his transfer fee towards the region of £30 million, and Mark Dobson of the Guardian wrote that the Red Devils have agreed to a fee of around £25 million plus add-ons, as Mourinho believes the youngster boasts enough raw talent to be at Old Trafford for the long term.

Bailly, whose speed and power is ideal for the Premier League, joined Villarreal from Espanyol in January 2015 for a reported fee of about £4 million, replacing Gabriel after the Brazilian defender left for Arsenal. He proved to be more than adequate in filling the void for the Yellow Submarine, helping the club qualify for the 2016-17 Champions League.

At the international level, Bailly was part of Cote d'Ivoire's national team when Les Elephants won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, appearing in each fixture.

Manchester City, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Leicester City, and Arsenal were allegedly among the suitors competing for Bailly's signature.