According to a recent report by The Daily Mail, Manchester City have identified Bayer 04 Leverkusen wing wizard Leon Bailey as a replacement for Leroy Sane if he leaves the Etihad Stadium this summer. The same source has also mentioned that the Citizens could face competition from Arsenal but have the financial power to blow the Gunners out of the race to land the £40m-rated Jamaican playmaker in this off-season.
Bailey’s Up And Down Season In German Football
It has been a campaign of mixed emotions for the Kingston-born talent as his form has been quite up and down at the BayArena so far. He has produced several eye-catching displays for Peter Bosz’s side over the past nine months. At the same time, he had also struggled to maintain his high standards in terms of creativity from last season when he registered five assists across all competitions.
Bailey has featured in 24 matches for the German outfit this term, scoring seven goals but providing just one assist on all fronts which showcases his creative struggles in the opposition half. He has averaged 1.6 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game in the Bundesliga this season (stats via whoscored).
The 22-year-old has also earned six senior caps for the Jamaican national team, netting one goal for his country in the process. If Bailey can continue to develop his overall game with each year, then he has the potential to become one of his nation’s best players over the next decade.
What Will The Jamaican Youngster Add To Pep Guardiola’s Side?
Bailey can use his pace and agility to make some driving runs with the ball out on the wide areas. He boasts excellent ball control and dribbling ability to create all sorts of problems for the opposition but can sometimes lack the end-product in the final third. The Jamaican can also be a constant menace as he can get himself into some promising positions in and around the opposition penalty box. He can strike the ball with a lot of venom with his attempts from long range and also scores his fair share of goals from the left-wing.
Recruiting a wide player of Bailey’s potential will be a massive coup for the Citizens, especially if they end losing Leroy Sane’s services this summer. The Leverkusen whizkid will not only add more pace and goals to the Man City attack but also enhance the overall depth of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
A player of Bailey’s skillset will provide some healthy competition for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus at the north-west of England in the coming seasons. At 22, he is only going to get better with each year, so the Citizens will do well to lure him away from the BayArena before the start of the new campaign.
However, Bailey has completed just 70.4% of his attempted passes in the Bundesliga this season which suggests that he might struggle to settle into Guardiola’s style of play at the Etihad Stadium (stats via whoscored). With all things considered, Man City should only consider making a move for Bailey if they are willing to be patient with him. Otherwise, they will be better of opting for a more proven option to replace Sane, if the German ends up parting ways with the Mancunian club during the summer transfer period.
