Jose Mourinho: Eric Bailly has to abolish 'question mark' on his suitability for Manchester United, says new boss

The 22-year-old made just 35 appearances for Villarreal before signing for United

Eric Bailly poses following his £30m transfer to Manchester United (Getty)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has used an intriguing method to inspire new £30m signing Eric Bailly, expressing doubt over the defender’s ability to play for a club of their stature.

The Portuguese was unveiled on Tuesday morning after replacing Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford last month with his arrival being followed swiftly by that of Bailly from Villarreal.

Bailly, 22, made just 35 appearances for the Spanish side before signing for United this summer and is likely to provide competition to Chris Smalling, Daley Blind and Phil Jones.

Discussing the Ivory Coast international, Mourinho told United’s in-house television channel: “He’s a player we believe has all the attributes. Very strong physically, he's very fast.

“It’s not so easy to find a fast player when you are quite a big body, a heavy guy, a tall boy. He comes from a Spanish culture where the first building-up phases are important, so technically he's very good.”

The former Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and two-time Chelsea manager added: “My only question mark is a question mark I have to help him delete, which is a question mark for somebody who has never played for such a big club, with so many responsibilities, with so many expectations.

“So is Eric ready to come here and start performing from day one? I don't know. It's a question mark. My job is to delete the question mark as soon as possible, and to make him a player with stature, brain and personality to play for Manchester United.”