Leigh Graydon
According to the media in the UK, Arsenal are seriously considering Bayer Leverkusen’s winger Leon Bailey. Chelsea and Manchester United have both shown great interest in young player so far and now Arsenal has joined the race.
The Gunners seem to have become reconciled to the loss of Alexis Sanchez and are now preparing the ground for his successor. Pep Guardiola does not intend to send an offer for the Chilean now because his City team is playing excellently on all fronts and the experienced coach does not want to disrupt the ideal chemistry that exists within the squad. However, Sanchez's move to the Etihad Stadium is very probable in the summer transfer window. That's why the North London team has to start looking for new reinforcements.
Although it was recently mentioned that Arsene Wenger has lost influence in the team’s transfer policy because he will soon leave Emirates, as the things stand his word is still very important in the club. And it is commonly known that the Frenchman likes to work with young and promising footballers. Bailey fits this profile.
Leon Bailey has enjoyed a fantastic first half of the season, and is one of the best players in the Bundesliga so far. He has played a total of 14 games in the Bundesliga this season and scored six goals, providing four assists. Bailey is very fast and dangerous in one on one situations and also has a great left foot. With Julian Brandt, he is one of the Leverkusen’s brightest prospects.
The young Jamaican arrived from Genk in the last January transfer window for a sum of €20 million. Therefore, it is certain that Arsenal will have to allocate a drastic amount of money if they want to bring him to London. And the price will probably jump higher because other big clubs are showing interest in the player, and are willing to spend a lot of cash in order to secure his services, with the aforementioned Chelsea and Manchester United are reported to be the most serious candidates.
On the other hand, Arsenal continue to play attractive football, with lots of goals and this will probably remain the case in the second part of the season. Lacazette and companions are scoring regularly, but defence is the problem. So, if you like to bet on goals, online bookmakers UK offers great odds. This online betting platform provides all the conditions for excellent entertainment and fair betting, especially if you are a Premier League fan. You can check the Ladbrokes bookmaker review on the link above and claim £50 deposit bonus or check Betfair and claim up to £100 in free bets. Considering pretty weak performances by Arsenal defenders and their deadly attack, we can still expect high scoring Gunners’ matches in the domestic championship and Europa League.
As the fate of Mesut Ozil is also uncertain, the North London side will need some fresh blood in attack, because Wenger does not count seriously on Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, given both of them get their chance to play mostly in Europa League. Arsenal desperately need a pacey player on the flank. And Bailey with his speed and crossing ability can provide a lot of assists for Olivier Giroud and Alexandre Lacazette. So far this season, Lacazette often had to drop to the middle of the field to participate in the organization of team’s attacks, although his primary task is to score goals. That’s why the possible arrival of Leverkusen’s forward would make his game a lot easier.
In a recent media interview, Wenger when asked whether Arsenal will retain Sanchez and Ozil, said: “Yes, of course. No doubt. I don't think every day about that at the moment. As long as they are here, they give their best for the club. As far as I'm concerned, they'll stay until the end of the season unless something unbelievable happens. In press conferences you confront me with speculation, but for me they stay until the end of the season - that's what we decided at the start of the season. Will they stay longer? That's impossible to say right now, but they have a contract until the end of the season.”
Although the experienced coach has so far denied the departure of two of his most important players, it is hard to expect that they will remain if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League. After last season, where Arsenal failed to secure a Champions League spot, it was expected that they would act seriously in the transfer market to be able to return to elite competition. However, Thomas Lemar was considered too expensive for Wenger and he stayed in AS Monaco. Even this season, Gunners are barely able to keep up with the top four teams. So, if they want to return among the title contenders next year, they have to take an opportunity like this.
