Bundesliga finish to determine Bailey future
Published:Saturday | May 16, 2020 | 12:18 AMDaniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer
Football agent Craig Butler says that any potential move for his client, Bayer Leverkusen forward Leon Bailey, would be dependent on the completion of the current European football season, which includes the German Bundesliga.
Butler was speaking during a Gleaner Instagram Live interview on Thursday, where he voiced various issues regarding local youth development, Jamaica’s qualifying chances for the 2022 World Cup, and the Bundesliga’s return today.
“It’s possible,” Butler said. “It’s always possible, but we have to see how the rest of the leagues pan out. It’s very important the league that is going to be opening up in Germany. Because, if that goes well, then all the other leagues will follow suit and then you can look at the transfers. But if people don’t know what they are doing, if the leagues are cancelled, the chances of a transfer can be less.”
In an interview with The Gleaner on April 11, Bundesliga commentator Dan O’ Hagan said that Bailey would “fit Chelsea’s blueprint”, and that a deal with the former English Premier League champions could happen this summer.
DISPLAY HIS TALENTS
Bailey has made 14 league appearances for Leverkusen so far this season, scoring five goals and registering one assist. He missed six weeks of the campaign because of injury. Butler says that the Bundesliga’s resumption will give him the stage to display his talents as he considers his options.
“Leon, obviously, will be looking sooner or later to make the next steps, and [the Bundesliga returning] would be a platform for him to show what he can do,” he said.
Leverkusen are in fifth place with 47 points, two points from a UEFA Champions League place. They restart their campaign with a trip to 17th-place Werder Bremen, on Monday.