Villarreal have succeeded in their efforts to replace Gabriel Paulista after completing the signing of Eric Bailly from Espanyol.
The 20-year-old has signed a contract with the Yellow Submarine until 2020 and joins the club for a reported fee of €6m, less than half the sum paid by Arsenal for the Brazilian.
AS states that Villarreal will pay €5.25m upfront for Bailly, while they have written off the remaining €725,000 owed by Espanyol from Wakaso Mubarak’s transfer in 2012.
However, it is understood that they have purchased just half of the player’s ownership, the other 50 percent being held by his agent’s company Promoesport BCN.
Bailly, an Espanyol youth product, has made just six appearances in La Liga this season but is currently on international duty with Cote d’Ivoire at the Africa Cup of Nations.
