Leon Bailey would be a great signing – at half the reported price

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Liverpool reportedly want Leon Bailey and he’d be a great signing, but only at half of the supposed price.

The Express says Liverpool are one of four Premier League clubs who want Bailey. They join their old ‘Big Four’ rivals in the pursuit, as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal keep tabs.

They also claim that Chelsea are ‘lining up’ an £85m bid. Now, if that price is in any way accurate, Liverpool need to back out.

Bailey is definitely a talented player – no one doubts that. He grabbed people’s attention two seasons ago where, as a 20-year-old, he bagged nine goals and six assists.

So he’s a rapid, direct winger who has proven an ability to produce. Those aren’t cheap and for that record, you would expect to pay a lot of money.

The problem with Bailey is that his record was a one-season thing up to now. He hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers in either of the following campaigns.

That makes him far more of a gamble. Does he require a very specific environment to thrive? That season may have simply one where conditions suited him perfectly.

But we do know that you can get brilliance from Bailey. What we don’t know, therefore, is how easily you can coax it out of him. So while the former will naturally demand a price like £85m, the latter hinders it greatly.

Liverpool do have a wonderful record of helping players reach their potential. For that reason alone, he’d be a great signing. But right now, with the information we have, the price for Bailey is simply too high.