Chelsea target Leon Bailey has expressed his desire to delay a move until he is ready. “Leverkusen is perfect for me,” the in-demand youngster told Bild. “I want to develop and then I can take the next step. When I move to a big club, the people there will want to know me. I want to make a name for myself at the highest level.”
Bailey is being chased by English giants Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. He has, however, decided to stay put with Bayer Leverkusen for the time being. Bailey has been in hot form this season scoring 11 goals and budding 5 assists. The Jamaican attacker has helped his team to a fourth place in the Bundesliga table and the semi-finals of the German Cup.
After the departure of Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Kevin Kamp and Javier Hernández, the Jamaican has been one of the key attacking components for Leverkusen. A solid left foot paired with blistering pace down the wings has cemented Bailey in the first team of Bayer Leverkusen.
He arrived at Leverkusen from Belgian club, K.R.C. Genk in the January of 2017. Bailey developed his game at the Belgian club appearing in 77 matches while registering 16 goals and 21 assists to his name.
The Blues are reportedly preparing for a new looking attack with Chelsea ace Eden Hazard having been earmarked by Real Madrid for some time now. Should Hazard leave Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will need a new wide man and Bailey’s profile would fit the billing perfectly with the player’s young age being a crucial factor in the Chelsea hierarchy.
Although the Jamaican speedster would add some much-needed pace and threat in Chelsea’s final third, the player must be careful before signing a deal. The Blues are known for scouting young talent however they are also known for misusing these gifted youngsters and moving them on for a profit margin. It sometimes works out well like the case of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah but it flops more often than not like Lucas Piazon, Marko Marin and so on.
Hence it is a good call from Bailey to turn down a move and opt to play for a team which he knows inside out and a club where he gets regular game time. Should the player keep performing there will be no dearth of suitors in the future when he will be ready for a move.
