Manchester United will go yet another season without the league title and Jose Mourinho, the current man in charge at Old Trafford, is now desperate to improve the quality in the squad, to try and get back to the top of the table in the next season.
The manager is already scouting for targets they can land in the summer and one name constantly doing the rounds is young Leon Bailey. A transfer target for the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, the Jamaican international is one of the most exciting youngsters on show in Europe and has been in sensational form for German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, who he joined just over 12 months ago.
He has recently revealed that he is open to a move to the Premier League but the Bundesliga club are not ready to let him leave even at the end of the season. However, reports from Germany now claim that they will be tempted to let him leave, for a price of around €100m, similar to what Barcelona paid for Ousmane Dembele last summer. So should Manchester United meet his asking price?
Born and brought up in Kingston, Jamaica, the 20-year old first moved to Europe back in 2014 with Genk and took no time to impress the manager, making 56 top flight appearances at the club as a teenager. He has been a regular presence in the first team at Bay Arena, making 21 appearances across all competitions, notching up 10 goals and five assists in this time.
He is yet to play for the Jamaican national side but has a cap for the U23s and is a star in the making. A winger, who can also play in a midfield role on the left flank, Bailey, is a gifted footballer, with great technique and understating of the game. He can beat the keeper from long range, can produce crosses that are right up there with the best and can dribble past opponents with ease, opening up spaces in the final third.
He loves to cut inside to try and test the keeper but is adept at beating his man on the wing with pace, getting behind the backline and creating chances for his side. It is a trait Jose Mourinho is desperate for in his current side, making Bailey an important buy for the Red Devils.
Alexis Sanchez, who is now 29, and Jesse Lingard are the only genuine wingers in the side with pace and ability to provide width to the attack. The likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata have all been deployed in this role but are more productive playing through the middle.
Bailey solves this problem, for the long term. He may be a liability in his first few months in England, needing time to adjust to the physical nature of the Premier League. Chilean winger Sanchez will provide them with the perfect opportunity to settle in and help the Red Devils in the long term.
His asking price is not too bad for a 20-year old with such potential but do you think United should go all in for him?
