Why Manchester United should go for Leon Bailey in January

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have funds available to strengthen his squad in January.

After missing out on Champions League qualification last season, Manchester United managed just three signings during the summer transfer window. And all three new recruits have been the club’s best players in an otherwise poor start to the new Premier League campaign.

Wales winger Daniel James, a summer signing from Swansea, has made an outstanding start to his United career with three goals in four matches, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks an astute piece of business.

Harry Maguire has brought a calming influence at the back and as the league progresses, his understanding with Victor Lindelof will only get better.

However, Solskjaer, 46, is keen to bolster his midfield options in January having failed to bring in replacements for Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini in the summer.

A central midfielder remains at the top of his priority list. In addition to a central midfielder, he should also target a new forward after jettisoning the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan.

United are clearly lacking in quality and depth in attack after the exits of Lukaku and Sanchez. Solskjaer will need Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial to increase their output in front of goal this term if the Red Devils are to break the Premier League’s top four again.

Yet, another forward would do a world of good for United and they must go for Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey, who was heavily linked with the Red Devils last summer.

Leon Bailey, 22, has established himself as one of the brightest stars in the Bundesliga and contributed five goals and two assists to his club’s campaign last season. In the 2017/18 campaign, the Jamaican-born speedster bagged nine goals and six assists for Bayer Leverkusen.

A flexible forward who can play anywhere across the front-line, Bailey would be an ideal fit at United. The 22-year-old is an explosive talent and uses his pace, power, movement and dribbling skills to terrorise opposition backlines.

Despite having the likes of Martial, Rashford, James and Greenwood, United could still do with a bit more pace and directness in the attack, and Bailey would provide that in abundance.

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The Jamaican has that real X-factor to make a difference at Old Trafford, and the fact that he is a left-footed winger would give Solskjaer an entirely different option in the final third. The former Genk man is a player of massive potential and the United manager could be the right personality to unlock it.

Verdict

United are still a work in progress under Solskjaer and have got rid of a lot of deadwood. Now, it’s time for them to invest more on sublime talents and acquiring the services of Leon Bailey in January would be a step in the right direction.