Manchester United are considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey as their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho continues to drag on.
Dortmund are holding out for over £100m for the winger, but United are adamant they will not meet that demand due to the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak - leaving the two sides in somewhat of a stand-off.
With an agreement proving tricky to reach, the Daily Mail state that United have held discussions about switching their focus to Bailey, who is understood to be valued at closer to the £40m mark.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left impressed by scouting reports of Bailey and his ability to play with both feet, meaning he could be deployed on either wing or even as a central attacking midfielder if needed.
Thanks to his reduced value, United see Bailey as a more cost-effective option than Sancho, and pursuing him would free up more money to be spent on landing other targets like Aston Villa's Jack Grealish and Birmingham City's Jude Bellingham.
The 22-year-old Jamaican has long been viewed as a potential star of the future, although he has endured a number of frustrating campaigns in recent years.
This season has been a mixed bag for Bailey, who has managed five goals and two assists in 19 Bundesliga appearances. However, he has started just nine games, with injuries and two separate suspensions making it hard for him to hold down a permanent place in the team.
At his best, there is no doubting that Bailey is the kind of player United want. His two-goal haul in a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in November 2019 is all the evidence you need of that. However, consistency has been a major issue for Bailey.
Another look at @leonbailey's goals vs. Bayern last weekend!
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) December 5, 2019
? #B04S04 pic.twitter.com/JZUMjSjsmj
He has been gradually slipping out of the starting lineup over the past few years, which explains why Leverkusen value Bailey at 'just' £40m.
United's focus remains on landing Sancho, but alternative plans are clearly being made just in case they fail to land the Englishman.
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Source : 90min