Eyes on England - Colossal, Phoenix partnership key for potential EPL move for Bailey

If or when Jamaican international Leon Bailey makes his move to the English Premier League (EPL), British journalist Leon Mann believes that his partnership with British sports management company Colossal Sports Management will play a huge role.

Mann was speaking in a Gleaner Sports Live interview on Thursday on Instagram, where he discussed how racial equality in football can be achieved in the midst of global anti-racism protest, as well as the resumption of the English Premier League after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Colossal Sports made an announcement recently via twitter that the Bayer Leverkusen forward was a part of its stable of clients, which also includes Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“He has got an exceptionally strong agent and agency behind him to make a move to the Premier League happen. They are incredibly strong across the clubs, so in terms of the potential of moving to the Premier League, what’s happened this week (Colossal signing) is significant in terms of that potentially happening,” Mann said.

Bailey’s agent Craig Butler confirmed that the new arrangement was a partnership between Colossal and Phoenix Sports Management. He said that while he will remain responsible for all negotiations involving his clients, the association will facilitate players from the Phoenix Academy landing a move to England.

Commercial Opportunity

“With Leon’s next move being England, I am going to need somebody to partner with me there. I think that the opportunity from a commercial perspective for Leon and for Phoenix players is going to be great,” Butler said. “We will be representing and moving the young players from Colossal into mainland Europe and they will also be representing and helping us to move our players when they are ready to transition to England. So it is a very huge move for the Caribbean to have the joint forces of Colossal and Phoenix representing our Caribbean players and Jamaican players.”

Bailey has reportedly garnered the interest of top clubs in Europe such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and most recently Manchester City. Mann believes that it is important that Bailey is a regular starter at whichever club he decides to join in order for his talents to be properly showcased.

“Leon Bailey needs to play every week. So does a Leon Bailey play every week at Manchester City or at Manchester United? That is something which I am probably not qualified to say. I think to have a player like that potentially off the bench or in a wide rotation system doesn’t show us the best of him,” Mann said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily about Manchester City or Chelsea. It’s about doing well in the Premier League and then going on to the place where you are going to win the big trophies.”

Bailey has registered five goals and three assists in 21 league appearances for Leverkusen this season, and will be preparing for the upcoming German Cup final against Bayern Munich on July 4 in Berlin. Mann says that with his talent, he expects that a move to England is inevitable for Bailey.

“I think a player like him (Bailey) is exciting, and it’s only a matter of time before he ends up in the Premier League,” said Mann.