Arsenal are supposedly in pole position in the race to snag Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey in the January transfer window, after the north-Londoners sent scouts to Germany to gauge the £30m-rated winger's performances on two occasions last week.

Although Chelsea and Manchester United are also said to be monitoring the 21-year-old's progression at the Bundesliga outfit, so with the finish line almost within touching distance, a banana skin or two could still lay ahead of the Gunners, given the staunch competition they face in the shape of their titanic domestic rivals.

Scout Spectacle

Arsene Wenger understands that his club may require some fresh options in their ranks, so in order to collate a more vibrant picture of what to expect from Bailey, the French tactician dispatched scouts to Germany to watch the winger, although evidently one match simply wasn't enough for Arsenal's recruitment specialists.

Bailey scored twice for Leverkusen in a 4-4 draw against Hannover on December 17th, a contribution which would have warranted multiple ticks from Wenger's spotters, though more positives and pros were to come on December 21.

Scoring the winner in the DFB Cup third-round against Borussia Monchengladbach, Bailey ensured that 'Die Werkself' reached the quarter-final stage of the competition with a 1-0 victory, proof that he can play a pivotal part in a club's successes.

Reinforcement

Since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain departed the Emirates in the summer for Liverpool, 'Le Prof' is aware that reinforcements may be needed in the new year to help prop-up Arsenal's push for silverware and Champions League qualification.

The Gunners could also face the reality of losing want-away Chilean ace Alexis Sanchez sooner than expected, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea all vying to snag his influential services in January - if the diminutive attacker fails to leave in the imminent transfer window, he could do so in the summer of 2018 for free, if his current employers can't persuade him to stay with a bumper contractual offer, of course.

Bailey made the jump to Leverkusen in January 2017 from Belgian club Genk in a deal worth £12.4m and has gone from strength to strength at the Bay Arena. It's believed that Chelsea initially had a £22m offer rebuffed by the Germans before the start of the 2017-18 campaign, though their reluctance to sell is certainly justified.

in 16 appearances in all competitions this term, Bailey has effortlessly managed to bag 8 goals and has also gifted his teammates 4 assists in the process, a wholesome record which rubber-stamps his calibre and flourishing potential in-front of the target.
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