Everton are reportedly interested in signing 23-year-old Jamaican ace Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by The Athletic, Leon Bailey is the latest wide forward to have popped up on the radar of Everton over a move in the summer transfer window. The Toffees are keen on signing a dynamic wide player to bolster their attacking unit, with the 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward a target.
Leon Bailey joined Bayer Leverkusen from Genk in January 2017 and has since progressed leaps and bounds. While still not as consistent as he can potentially be, the Jamaican international has still managed to establish himself as a regular in Die Werkself’s first-team setup.
To date, Bailey has raked in 156 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen while chipping in with 39 goals and 26 assists. Those numbers suggest that there is a lot of scope for improvement for the 23-year-old attacking ace, who is now being courted by one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League in Everton.
Everton are in a transitional state following the appointment of Rafael Benitez as their new manager. The change on the managerial hotseat will also come with a potential change in system. To that end, the Toffees have been eager to sign a wide attacking player, and for good reason.
The Merseyside club have already prevailed in such an attempt, with Andros Townsend joining the club this week. However, with neither Alex Iwobi nor Bernard managing to impress in the last couple of seasons, it is imperative that Everton bolster their attack with quality over quantity, which is why they have recently been linked with Dwight McNeil, among others of late.
Apart from McNeil, Everton remain interested in the likes of Samuel Chukwueze, Demarai Gray and Hwang Hee-chan. However, Bailey has also emerged as a viable target for the Premier League giants, who are looking for dynamic wide forwards who can pave the way for efficient transitions.
For now, Bailey is the latest forward to have popped up on the radar of Everton, who remain keen on signing another wide attacker. Having said that, it will be interesting to see if the 23-year-old ends up arriving at Goodison Park by leaving Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen.