According to reports in The Mirror, Chelsea and Manchester United may have to pay more than £40m if they want to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey in the summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that the Premier League duo, along with English top flight rivals Arsenal, are ready to battle for the signature of the exciting Jamaican at the end of the season, with all three clubs watching him in action this term.
The 20-year-old only joined Bayer Leverkusen from Genk during the summer, and after a relatively slow start to life with the Bundesliga outfit he has got better and better as the campaign has gone on.
The Mirror says that while the German club are determined to hold on to the wide-man during the January transfer window, they are braced for bids in the summer and they believe the player could fetch a fee in excess of £40m, with Chelsea already having a £22m offer turned down.
How good has Bailey been this season?
He has been extremely impressive after a quiet start.
While he started the opening Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich, the 20-year-old failed to start Leverkusen’s following four German top flight matches as he took time to settle in.
However, he quickly reclaimed his place in the team and became a key part of the side, scoring eight goals and providing a further four assists in 16 appearances in all competitions.
Bailey is known for his explosive pace, trickery, dribbling ability and his powerful shooting, and according to WhoScored.com he has successfully completed 24 of the 48 dribbles he has attempted this season in 14 Bundesliga games.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea or Man United?
He certainly would be.
While he may not be a starter for the two clubs right away, there is no doubt that he has the ability to be a key player for both teams in the future if he continues to develop and improve as he has been in recent seasons.
The 20-year-old’s pace would make him a brilliant addition to either side’s frontline, and his ability to finish from out wide must also be admired.
Is he really worth £40m?
Given his progress and the way the transfer market is going he certainly is, and if there is a bidding war for his services from Premier League clubs in the summer it could push his price up even further.
