Manchester City have identified Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey as a potential replacement for Leroy Sane, who looks destined for a move to Bayern Munich.
The German winger reportedly has his heart set on a move to Bavaria, but with the coronavirus bringing about economic uncertainty, the sticking point in negotiations between the two clubs appears to be the fee.
Currently, Bayern are only prepared to pay approximately €40m for Sane's services, a valuation which significantly undercuts City's demands.
Nevertheless, with a move at some point seemingly inevitable, Pep Guardiola will have to go about finding Sane's replacement, which the Daily Mail believes could be Leon Bailey.
City are said to have paid close attention to the 22-year-old Jamaican after he burst onto the scene following a move to Leverkusen from Genk in January 2017.
In his first full season at Die Werkself, Bailey notched nine goals and six assists in the Bundesliga but has struggled for consistency ever since. Last season he was only able to register five Bundesliga strikes, a figure he's matched this term, but the emergence of summer signing Moussa Diaby has seen the winger play a rotational role in Leverkusen's impressive Rückrunde.
Nevertheless, his talent was laid bare in his side's 2-1 victory at the Allianz Arena back in November; in which Bailey rounded off two swift transitions in the opening period with emphatic strikes from just inside the area.
And overall, the Jamaican's profile is one Guardiola admires.
The Spaniard prefers his wingers to be flexible and adept off both flanks, which Bailey certainly is, while the 22-year-old's ambidexterity adds unpredictability to his play.
If the Cityzens want to acquire the Jamaican, they'll likely have to cough up £40m and as a result of their financial supremacy, this puts them above the likes of Arsenal - who also reportedly hold an interest - in the race for Bailey.
Source : 90min