Liverpool will move for Bayer Leverkusen sensation Leon Bailey in the summer but face competition from a number of clubs, reports The Daily Mirror.
Jurgen Klopp’s opted against signing a replacement for Philippe Coutinho in January after he completed a British transfer record move to Barcelona.
Thomas Lemar has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield since the end of last season but Liverpool have now cooled their interest in the Monaco star.
The Reds are now prioritising a summer move for Bailey after watching the 20-year-old develop into one of the best players in the Bundesliga this season.
Bailey was briefly linked with a move to Chelsea at the start of the January transfer window but Antonio Conte’s side opted to sign Ross Barkley from Everton in a cut-price deal.
Arsenal bid £90m for Lemar in the summer and Klopp is not prepared to pay that much for the 22-year-old, even though Bailey could end up costing more.
Leverkusen signed Bailey from Genk over 12 months ago but the Jamaican forward only made eight substitute appearances in the Bundesliga during the second half of last season.
However, the 20-year-old has been a revelation for the German outfit this season scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 19 league games.
In fact, only Kylian Mbappe (7.74) has garnered a higher WhoScored rating than Bailey (7.51) of all players aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
