Chelsea seem to have renewed their interest in Bundesliga star Leon Bailey as part of the Blues’ rebuilding phase post-Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid last week.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, the Bayer Leverkusen forward has once again garnered interest from the Europa League champions and remains a possible candidate in case the CAS rules in Chelsea’s favour.
The Jamaican International is coming on the back of an underwhelming campaign where he managed a mere 5 goals and 5 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
Bailey at Stamford Bridge: Start of a new era
Bailey is a left-footed player whose pace and style sets him apart.
The 21-year-old is a versatile player who predominantly features on the left-wing but can switch to either flank. He also possesses the ability to play in left midfield or as a left-wing-back as we have seen in Leverkusen’s 3-4-2-1 system.
Chelsea usually set up in a 4-3-3 system and with the departure of Hazard and ageing wingers in Willian and Pedro, Bailey could perfectly slot in the winger’s role at Stamford Bridge in the long-term.
He can form a similar partnership with Christian Pulisic like he did with Julian Brandt in Germany. Both of them can switch flanks in between the game and possess the ability to cut inside on their favoured foot to have a pop at goal or go outside depending upon which wing they occupy.
The Leverkusen midfielder’s willingness to drop deep to collect the ball and his direct running at the opposition defence makes him a constant threat all over the pitch.
Bailey is comfortable all across the final third- he can dribble and link up with his teammates to move past defenders in the central and half spaces on the pitch. He can also move into the wide channels and fizz in delicious crosses from the flanks.
There are some areas he must improve upon to take his game to the next level. His passing has been suspect on occasions in the recent past. The 21-year-old, who will be 22 before the start of next season, averaged a 75.6 % pass success and failed to provide a through ball. His price tag isn’t encouraging either with the Bundesliga club demanding £80m for the young International who is yet to prove himself outside of Germany but with Hazard’s transfer fee expected to boost the finances, the London Blues can well afford him.
The addition of the Jamaican to the Chelsea dressing room could make the transition at Stamford Bridge a smooth one. Along with Pulisic, he could become the new face of the Blues’ attack for years to come.
If the transfer ban is overturned, it sounds like a gamble worth taking from a Chelsea point of view.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored