Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen forward Leon Bailey will reportedly look to leave the club in the January transfer window if his playing time doesn't increase in the coming weeks. 

Bailey, a key man for Leverkusen last season, has started just five of the team's nine games this term, scoring one goal in the process. According to Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC, being rotated has become an issue for the 21-year-old.

A source told ESPN FC that in January it will "be considered whatever is in the best interest of the player, and in this case it may not be to remain at Leverkusen under these circumstances." 

Bailey has ambitions of becoming one of the best players in the world, and "he can't do so from the bench in Leverkusen."

While the forward signed a new long-term contract with Leverkusen in August, Uersfeld noted he told Kicker there had been interest in him from the likes of Roma, Liverpool and Chelsea. According to Raphael Honigstein of ESPN FC, Bayern Munich made a €60 million (£53 million) bid for the player in May.

Although he's found it tough to get going this season, last term was a huge breakout for the Leverkusen man. Squawka summed up how impressive he was:

Following that season, a summer of incessant links to huge clubs and a lucrative new contract, the 2018-19 campaign has served to bring Bailey back down to earth again.

He's part of a squad that has struggled badly for the overwhelming majority of the season. They sit down in 12th spot in the table after a 6-2 win over Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Bailey was only introduced into that match as a substitute and helped the team fend off a potential fightback from the hosts. 

However, it's not a surprise manager Heiko Herrlich has opted to make some tweaks to the team amid their poor form.

After a big win on Sunday he will be hoping to get back into the side, especially given they've clicked into gear as an attacking force again this week:

Overall, Bailey's record in front of goal is still decent for a player so young:

While Bailey will want to feature in as many games as he can there is a duty on coaches to ensure their young players don't burn out. With that in mind and the struggles the team were enduring, some rotation made sense.

Leverkusen's decision to give Bailey a long-term deal shows the faith they have in him, and as we move towards the middle third of the season, expect Herrlich to begin calling on him more frequently.

Bayer Leverkusen forward Leon Bailey has reneged on his decision to play for Jamaica internationally because the Reggae Boyz didn't keep their promise of calling up his brother, Kyle Butler.

As shared by Goal's Ronan Murphy, the former Genk man finally appeared to end questions about his international future by accepting a call-up from Jamaica, but he has since refused to play:

In an interview with the Gleaner's Livingston Scott (h/t Mirror's Mark Jones) he revealed the snub of his brother was a big reason for not playing.

Bailey was supposed to play against Bonaire on Sunday but sat out the match.

He explained his decision-making to the Gleaner:

"Obviously, I came to Jamaica because of the international call-up. I did agree to come based on the agreement we had. But when I got here, it was a totally different scenario. They didn't keep their end (of the deal), therefore, I decided not to play this game.

"I am here for one reason: to represent the country. But they (JFF) didn't keep their end. Once they are willing to do that, I am ready to put on the national team jersey.

"By this November, if they are willing to go ahead with whatever we've asked of them, I'll be ready to represent my country. It (Kyle's snub by the JFF), is a big part of it. I need players who can understand me. You can't expect me to jump in a system and expect it to work. I need help. I am a winner, a Phoenix, and I don't like losing, so I need people who I know are capable of making things happen"

It's but the latest twist in a long-running saga that has become one of the biggest subjects in Jamaican football. 

Bailey has been linked with several national teams, including those of England and Belgium, even though the 21-year-old is currently ineligible to play for either of those sides, per Murphy. 

His agent and adopted father, Craig Butler, has openly feuded with the JFF, blaming the "culture" for Bailey's refusal to play for the Reggae Boyz so far.

Per Murphy, Butler also said the English FA contacted him regarding Bailey, telling RJRNews the Three Lions called for both of his sons. Because of the Home Nations agreement, Bailey can not become eligible for England.

He also hasn't lived long enough in any European nation to qualify via citizenship.

As explained by Murphy, Jamaican commentators believe Butler is using the situation to increase his own standing, as he wants to be part of the governing bodies in the country.

Bailey's brother Kyle plays his football in the lower divisions in Austria and has previously played in Belgium and Malta. The 20-year-old has yet to convince since making the move to Europe.

Per the Gleaner, the JFF wants Butler to have a trial first and earn his spot on the team, but Bailey disagrees, arguing others who play at a lower level are not required to do so.

Peter Maes was in the gymnasium at Genk's training centre when Leon Bailey's extraordinary precocity struck him for the first time.

It was August 2015, and Bailey had just signed for Genk from Slovakian club Trencin. The Jamaican winger had recently turned 18, and Maes, who had been appointed head coach three months earlier, planned to ease him into the first-team picture.

But as Bailey told him during their first conversation in the gym inside the Jos Vaessen Talent Academy, Genk's high-specification youth training facility in northeast Belgium, the new boy was in a bit of a hurry.

"The first words that he said to me were: 'I've come to Genk, and I want to learn here, but in three years, I want to be playing in a bigger competition than the Belgian league,'" Maes told Bleacher Report. "I thought to myself: Wow. Even very talented players don't talk like this, but he has unbelievable confidence.

"I never believed that he was going to play directly [in the first team], but he had very strong belief in himself. He saw what was in the squad. He saw that he had a chance to play, and he went for it."

Bailey had spent time at Genk in his mid-teens—footage his adoptive father, Craig Butler, posted on YouTube shows him in action against Club Brugge in November 2012—but Belgium's Ministry of Labour questioned the legality of the arrangement, and Bailey had to leave, eventually winding up in Slovakia.

He quickly made up for lost time on his return. Genk was where players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Yannick Carrasco and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic launched their careers, and it was apparent from the start that Bailey was destined to follow a similar trajectory.

"My first impression was that he was a real quality player, a very athletic player," Maes said. "He was 18 years old, and his body was unbelievably athletic. He did everything at very high speed, which is very difficult. It was wonderful to work with a guy like him."

Lithe, left-footed and lethally quick, Bailey made his first-team debut 12 days after his 18th birthday and swiftly became a fixture in the first XI, scoring six goals in 37 Belgian Pro League appearances and being voted Belgium's Young Footballer of the Year.

His performances helped Genk to qualify for the Europa League, and the following season he scored seven goals in his first 12 matches in European competition, including a sublime first-time effort against Rapid Vienna that UEFA named the tournament's best goal.

Bailey's playing style—his direct running, his provocative dribbling, his powerful shooting—reflected the single-minded attitude he revealed in that first conversation with Maes. From time to time he would overstep the mark—such as when, having been sent off during a 6-0 defeat at Oostende in November 2016, he became involved in a foul-mouthed exchange with a Genk supporter—but Maes made allowances for his obstinate spirit.

"Making fights with coaches, making fights with supporters, making fights with guys from [other] clubs—OK, but tomorrow is another day, and he would forget things quickly," said Maes, who is now head coach at Lokeren.

"He was not easy to coach because he believes in what he's thinking, and you need very strong arguments for him to do something else than what he's thinking. But all of these things were done with respect. He is a guy with a good heart. He's very smart, and he's a survivor."

Europe's elite clubs were soon circling, prompting reports of interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Roma, but Bailey's next destination was Bayer Leverkusen, who signed him in January 2017 for a reported fee of €13.5 million.

Given the No. 9 shirt, Bailey had to make do with substitute appearances in his first half-season at the BayArena, and although he kept a low profile on the pitch—failing to score in his first 10 outings—he made himself rather more conspicuous off it.

While visiting a gym on a trip to Genk in April 2017, Bailey mocked a boxer in a video that he posted on Snapchat (since removed), only for the angered pugilist to track the teenager down at a nearby cafe and film himself administering a humiliating dressing-down (warning: link contains NSFW language). The incident spawned disparaging headlines in Germany. Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said Bailey had "made a mistake and must learn from it," per Kicker.

Bailey's long-awaited first Bundesliga start proved to be a false one—he was substituted at half-time of a 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on last season's opening weekend. But he made amends on his next start, setting up goals for Kevin Volland and Lucas Alario in a 3-0 home win over Hamburg. He then hit a stunning patch of form as autumn bled into winter, scoring 10 goals in 18 appearances between September and February. His opener in Leverkusen's 4-1 win at Hoffenheim in January—an outrageous back-heel from 12 yards—was a work of art.

Bailey's ability to operate on both flanks tallied well with Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich's flexible approach, which obliged the team to master multiple formations. Bailey finished the campaign with 12 goals and six assists in all competitions, and even though his form tailed off, sports magazine 11 Freunde named him their Best Newcomer.

This summer's transfer window brought with it the familiar swirl of transfer speculation—speculation that Bailey himself was happy to entertain, per Sky Sports—but with the new Bundesliga season's approach, Leverkusen announced last weekend he had signed a new five-year contract. The full-backs of the German top flight are not off the hook yet.

For people in his native Jamaica, watching Bailey take the Bundesliga by storm merely served as confirmation of a talent that first appeared when he was playing in local junior competitions arranged by the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA).

"There was a buzz about him in the local media back then, because he had a phenomenal record," Simon Preston, a sports reporter with Jamaica's RJR Gleaner Group, said.

"He averaged four goals per game at under-13 level, and no other player had done that since the inception of the competition."

Bailey's mother raised him in Kingston's tough Cassava Piece district, and he cut his teeth in street football matches with older boys before joining Butler's Phoenix All-Star Academy at age eight. Butler nicknamed him "Chippy," because of a supposed resemblance to Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks, and later adopted him.

Butler set Bailey's career as a professional footballer in motion when he took the youngster, as well as his biological son, Kyle, to Austria in the hope of finding them a European club.

"We didn't have any experience of winter, and we came to Europe with only one jacket," Bailey told Deutsche Welle.

"And we came during the wintertime. It was in February, when it's really cold in Austria. We were young—I was 12, turning 13. We didn't have so much money. Sometimes we'd have tuna and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, just to get through the day."

Over a period of years, Butler hawked the two youngsters around Europe—Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia—and Bailey trained with a multitude of clubs (among them Ajax, Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Standard Liege) before Genk finally took him on when he turned 18. The outspoken Butler is a divisive figure—the KSAFA banned him from football for six years after a court battle over club ownership, and Preston describes him as a "difficult character"—but he has nonetheless been the chief instigator of Bailey's career.

For now, it is a career that has been restricted to club football. Bailey has played for Jamaica's Under-23 team, scoring a free-kick in a friendly game against the Cayman Islands in March 2015, but has rejected approaches from the senior side, citing reservations about the Jamaica Football Federation, which has prompted fears in his homeland that he will end up playing for Belgium or Germany.

"Many people are concerned that Leon Bailey is going to end up marrying a German woman and eventually getting a German passport and representing the German national team," Preston said.

"But they still have optimism that he will represent Jamaica. At some point in the next few years—perhaps the next World Cup qualifying cycle—I think that he will be in the colours of Jamaica."

As he told the New York Times' Rory Smith earlier this year, Bailey considers himself "100 percent Jamaican," and although he is yet to don the yellow shirt of the Reggae Boyz, he remains highly visible in his birth country. Leverkusen's games are shown live on Caribbean cable channel Flow Sports, and Bailey appeared regularly on Jamaican screens during the World Cup in a television commercial for KFC.

Bailey is close to Manchester City's Jamaica-born forward Raheem Sterling and describes Olympic track legend Usain Bolt as a "close friend." Three seasons into his professional career, he is already one of the most high-profile Jamaicans in world sport.

And at 21, he has only just left the starting blocks.

Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi had to be rushed to the hospital after he collapsed from a heat exhaustion during Tuesday's friendly against Wuppertaler. 

Per the Mirror's Jack Rathborn, Bellarabi had already been taken off at half-time but fell to the ground near the bench after 70 minutes. The trip to the hospital was a precaution, and the forward is in a stable condition, the club confirmed.

The club promised to update their fans when more info became available:

Football writer Juanma Romero shared these images, courtesy of BILD:

Per the report, the match was played in west Germany in temperatures reaching up to 33 degrees, as Western Europe continues to be plagued by droughts and heat waves.

The 28-year-old Bellarabi has been with Leverkusen since 2011 and made his full international debut for Germany in 2014. 

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed the signing of Brazil youth international Paulinho from Vasco da Gama.

The 17-year-old has been linked with a number of European football's biggest clubs, and the Bundesliga side announced on Friday they'd won the race to sign the forward:

According to O Globo (h/t Calciomercato.com), the likes of Juventus, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been impressed by his talent. However, he's off to the BayArena, where he will join a squad packed with exciting young talent.

Speaking about the deal, manager Heiko Herrlich said he was delighted:

Paulinho has impressed for both his club and the national team previously, developing a reputation as one of Brazil's best prospects.

The forward was given a chance to shine in the Copa Libertadores and proved he could cut it on that grand stage, netting two goals in six games. Last month, he was also named as the Player of the Month for the Brasileiro Serie A.

For the Brazilian youth setup, he's also done well, particularly in recent major tournaments. At the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, he scored three times as the Selecao finished third. He was also part of the squad that won the Under-17 South American Championship last year.

The Scouted Football Twitter account provided more details on what Leverkusen supporters can expect from their new capture:

It's a signing in line with Leverkusen's recent transfer strategy of getting young players through the door and into the team. Leon Bailey, who arrived in January 2017 and has excelled this term, is another.

Additionally, academy prospects like Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz are also expected to go on and achieve big things in the game.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes Paulinho has chosen the right club to move to in Europe:

It will take time until we see the best from the youngster, as there will be a huge period of transition for him both on and off the pitch.

Still, Leverkusen are renowned for giving young players opportunities, which is not the case with some European juggernauts. As such, Paulinho is a player to watch out for come the 2018-19 Bundesliga campaign.

Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey has said he is focused on his current club amid links to the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

Bailey has been one of the stars of the Bundesliga season in 2017-18, providing a dynamic and incisive threat on the flanks for Leverkusen. Naturally, speculation about his next move has started to gather pace, and the 20-year-old has had his say on what he thinks the future holds, per ESPN FC.

"At this moment, I can't really say which particular league I want to touch," he said. "I want to play at the highest level with a team that is going to compete to win trophies. At this moment, there's a lot been said, but I'm not so focused on that. For me, I just want the best for myself and my family and whatever the future brings, then I'm ready to accept the challenge."

As noted in the report, Premier League giants like United and Liverpool have been tipped as possible suitors for Bailey during the campaign.

The Jamaican youth international moved to Leverkusen in January 2017, and after finding his feet in the second half of last season, he has really kicked on in the current one.

Squawka Football broke down what has been a year to remember for the youngster:

Bailey has typically been stationed on the left flank for the Bundesliga outfit, and as a left-footed player, he's provided excellent balance to the team.

Still, under manager Heiko Herrlich, he's also been gifted freedom to roam from the wing into dangerous positions. When he does pick up the ball in those pockets, as his figures from this season illustrate, Bailey has tended to make an impact.

His influence extends beyond the numbers he tots up. The Leverkusen No. 9 is a release valve for the team when they're under pressure, as his blistering pace and strong running make Bayer a big threat on the counter-attack.

As noted by Scouted Football, while there are undoubtedly areas in which Bailey could improve, there have been some comparisons made between him and some of the world's leading wide players:

We've compared his pace to Leroy Sané before - a comparison which grows with every performance.

Bailey's very difficult to defend effectively. Pinpoints space and sears into it; few defenders can handle it. Propensity for low percentage (long) shots potentially an issue.

 pic.twitter.com/TOTNoJmNs7

— Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) February 18, 2018

Leverkusen have had a tough week, as they were hammered by Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals and then by Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. They sit in fourth in the German top flight but face a battle with Hoffenheim over the final three games to secure a UEFA Champions League berth.

It's imperative they do, as the club will be looking to keep together an exciting core of young players for the foreseeable future. If they don't make it into Europe's top-tier club competition, it will be easier for more illustrious teams to tempt that talent away.

Another season with Leverkusen and playing in the Champions League would benefit Bailey. But if Bayer slip out of the reckoning, clubs interested in the winger will surely circle with extra intent.  

Bayer Leverkusen star Julian Brandt has extended his contract with the club until 2021. 

News that new terms had been agreed came via Leverkusen's official Twitter account on Wednesday:

DW Sports relayed some of what the 21-year-old had to say:

"The recent contract extensions of Jonathan Tah and Lars Bender have shown that [the club are growing]," he added, per Reuters (h/t Eurosport). "We want to win titles."

With his previous deal scheduled to expire in 2019, Leverkusen supporters would have been a little concerned about the player's position at the club, especially as he has been subject to a lot of transfer rumours.

According to journalist Raphael Honigstein, Liverpool wanted to land Brandt ahead of Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah last summer, per The Totally Football Show:

Calciomercato.com (h/t Football Italia) also credited AC Milan with an interest in the youngster.

Brandt is set to stay at the BayArena for the foreseeable future, though, where he will be part of an exciting young squad that has been playing some wonderful football under manager Heiko Herrlich.

In addition to Brandt the team have Bernd Leno, Tah, Benjamin Henrichs, Kai Havertz and Leon Bailey, who all have the potential to grow into something special at the club. Having penned a new contract, their No. 10 will be hoping that's the case.

Brandt has been a regular throughout the 2017-18 term, and given his versatility, he's been asked to fulfil a number of different roles by Herrlich.

The Germany international is at his best on the left flank. While he may not be the quickest wideman, Brandt is intelligent in the way he drifts off the line to make space. He can take the ball in tight areas, glide past opponents and make contributions in the final third.

In addition, this season Brandt has also had an impact when entering games from the bench, as relayed by OptaFranz:

For Leverkusen, the decision to commit is a big one, as they will want to keep these young stars on board and build a team capable of challenging at the top of the Bundesliga.

Brandt is potentially key to that process, and with little doubt about where his immediate future lies, he can focus on helping Bayer earn a UEFA Champions League spot at the end of this season. They sit in fifth place, just a point back on RB Leipzig in fourth.

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Bayer Leverkusen sensation Leon Bailey has said he is happy at the club amid links to a number of Premier League sides.

The forward has been wonderful to watch this season in the Bundesliga, turning in some memorable displays and helping Leverkusen move up into a UEFA Champions League spot. According to the Sunday Mirror's Steve Stammers, Arsenal and Chelsea are monitoring the player.

Bailey believes he will move on one day, although he said Bayer are ideal for him at this juncture.

"Leverkusen is perfect for me," he said to Bild (h/t Robin Bairner of Goal). "I want to develop and then I can take the next step. When I move to a big club, the people there will want to know me. I want to make a name for myself at the highest level."

Bailey moved to Bayer in January 2017, although he has really caught alight in the current campaign.

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones commented on just how good the 20-year-old is:

The Jamaican-born winger has added something refreshing to the Leverkusen team and is the crown jewel in an attacking setup that contains the likes of Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz.

Bailey's biggest asset is his searing pace. Operating on the left flank primarily and being left footed, he loves to take his man on on the outside, although he's sharp enough to dip infield and catch opponents off guard. He's also shown he can cut in from the right-hand side in recent weeks.

When he does find dangerous positions, Bailey has been smart with possession. The youngster is developing an understanding of when to dribble, when to pass and when to shoot.

Per the Scouted Football Twitter account, Bailey has been able to make a positive impression on matches regardless of where he's stationed on the field:

Given just how good he's been—Bailey has nine goals and five assists in the Bundesliga this season already—there will be interest in the winger come the end of the season.

For a player with such speed and skill to have such consistency early in his career is remarkable; Bailey would already fit in at some of the best sides in Europe.

According to WhoScored.com, the winger has been one of the standout players in the German top flight this season:

It will only be 18 months since he made the move to Leverkusen in the summer, meaning there's no immediate pressure on Bayer to cash in. Plus, with so many exceptional young players in their ranks, they will be keen to build towards an exciting future with Bailey at the core.

It does appear Bailey wants to make a move to a juggernaut of European football eventually, and if he continues to produce as he has done recently, then that will surely come. But he's still only 20 years old, something that is easy to forget after the rapid progress he's made lately.