Bailey will not leave in January, Leverkusen insists

Bayer Leverkusen is adamant star winger Leon Bailey will not be leaving the club during the next transfer window.

Published : Nov 07, 2018 17:27 IST

Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey
Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey
lightbox-info

Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey

Leon Bailey will not be leaving Bayer Leverkusen in January despite a host of Europe's top clubs courting the 21-year-old winger.

Bailey has emerged as one of the hottest young prospects in world football over the past 12 months, with nine Bundesliga goals to his name in 2017-18 as Leverkusen finished fifth.

He has struggled to make a similar impact this term but his future remains the topic of speculation, with Premier League giants Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all reportedly showing an interest.

Roma was also linked with Bailey but Leverkusen has repeatedly stated that no offers were made for the forward, and he penned a new deal at the BayArena in August.

That ties him to the club until 2023, although sporting director Jonas Boldt accepts he is likely to depart before then.

However, that will not be during the next transfer window as Leverkusen looks to improve on its disappointing start to the 2018-19 league campaign that has seen it take just 11 points from 10 matches, leaving it 13th.

"We all know that Leon will eventually go," Boldt told Bild.

"But we have made it clear that a winter change is out of the question. He also knows that he has our backing."

Bailey will look to open his European account for Leverkusen on Thursday when it hosts Zurich in Group A.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment