Chelsea have been eyeing Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey for some time now and admittedly the player says he has always known of the interest from the Blues but rejected the offers because the time was not right.
Bailey is among the young stars in the German Bundesliga on the wishlist of most top clubs across Europe including Chelsea after his impressive displays last season. He scored nine goals and provided six assists to attract attention to him last summer.
But the failed moves can be attributed to the stone cold attitude Leverkusen responded with and his desire to take his career one step at a time.
The Jamaica international reveals he has rejected Chelsea more than once as he has known of the interest from the Blues since he was 14 or 15 years old.
“Chelsea have been interested in me since I was maybe 14 or 15, but as a young player you want to start on a normal level and not just go there because of the name of the club. You want to develop in the right environment; around the right minds and mentality. Genk was right for me at that moment – I fitted right into the youth system perfectly.
That’s where I wanted to start, so I went for it. Manchester United, City, Chelsea, Liverpool – a lot of clubs were interested,” the Jamaican reveals. But the most important thing as a pro is taking things a step at a time and not rushing to the top too quickly. Because once you get there, where do you go next?
Leon Bailey, Four Four Two
The 21-year old will likely pop up again on Chelsea’s transfer wishlist should they lose a winger next summer.
