Columbus Crew Acquire Defender Eric Bailly
MLS Columbus Crew SC

Columbus Crew Acquire Defender Eric Bailly

Published on July 17, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS - The Columbus Crew have acquired free agent defender Eric Bailly, who most recently played for Spain's Real Oviedo and boasts 12 seasons of La Liga and Premier League experience. Bailly is guaranteed through June 2027 with Club options for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 MLS campaigns. Bailly will occupy an international roster slot and officially join the roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 Visa.

"We are excited to welcome Eric to Columbus. His experience at the highest levels of the game, combined with his defensive quality, leadership and composure, will strengthen our backline and have an impact on our roster," said Crew General Manager Issa Tall. "Eric brings a winning mentality and valuable experience that will benefit our group both on and off the field. We look forward to integrating him into the team as we continue pushing toward our goals in the second half of the season."

Bailly most recently played for Real Oviedo (2025-26) after tenures with RCD Espanyol (2014-15), Villarreal CF (2015-16; 2023-25), Manchester United FC (2016-23), Olympique de Marseille (2022-23) and Beşiktaş (2023).

The Bingerville, Ivory Coast, native joined Manchester United ahead of the 2016-17 season. Across seven seasons with the Red Devils, Bailly recorded one goal and one assist in 113 appearances while helping the club win the UEFA Europa League (2016-17), EFL Cup (2016-17) and FA Community Shield (2016). He made 11 appearances during Manchester United's UEFA Europa League-winning campaign and one appearance during the club's EFL Cup-winning run. Bailly also played the full 90 minutes in the club's 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.

During his first stint with Villarreal from 2015 through 2016, Bailly made 50 appearances, recording one goal and one assist. He returned to the club in December 2023 for a second spell, adding 22 appearances.

With Real Oviedo from 2025-26 Bailly made 16 appearances and scored one goal. He also appeared in five matches for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş in 2023 after spending the 2022-23 season on loan with Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille, where he featured in 23 matches across all competitions.

An RCD Espanyol youth product, Bailly made 21 appearances for Espanyol B before making his professional debut on Oct. 5, 2014. He went on to make five appearances for Espanyol, logging 355 minutes.

At the international level, Bailly has earned 49 caps and recorded two goals and one assist with the Ivory Coast National Team since making his senior international debut on Jan. 10, 2015. The defender was part of the Ivory Coast's African Cup of Nations championship-winning squad in 2015. Additionally, Bailly represented the Ivory Coast at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scoring once across his four appearances.

TRANSACTION: Columbus Crew acquire free agent defender Eric Bailly, announced on July 17, 2026. Bailly is guaranteed through June 2027 with Club options for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 MLS campaigns.

Name: Eric Bertrand Bailly

Pronunciation: BYE-yee

Position: Defender

Height: 6'0"

Born: April 12, 1994, in Bingerville, Ivory Coast

Citizenship: Ivory Coast

Acquired: Acquired by Columbus Crew on July 17, 2026

Previous Experience: RCD Espanyol (2014-15); Villarreal CF (2015-16); Manchester United FC (2016-23); Olympique de Marseille (2022-23); Beşiktaş (2023); Villarreal CF (2023-25); Real Oviedo (2025-26)

Check out the Columbus Crew SC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from July 17, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central