Arsenal: Leon Bailey even more important than Alexis replacement

Arsenal will be on the lookout for Alexis Sanchez replacements, but Leon Bailey isn’t that. He is something arguably even more important.

Arsenal’s search for an Alexis Sanchez replacement is going to be exciting. It used to feel like a dreaded responsibility, but given the fading form of Alexis Sanchez, it’s moreso like a quest with massive opportunity for something special.

There are tons of names thrown into the mix, but Leon Bailey isn’t exactly one of them. At least not to the sense that he can be an heir to Alexis. At just 20 years old, he is still in his formative years and to trust him with the mighty pressure of replacing Alexis Sanchez may be a bit, well, ill-advised.

The part that I see Bailey playing is hinging on the club first identifying a replacement such as Nabil Fekir. Someone who is ready to step into superstardom, like Alexis did when he moved to Arsenal.

Bailey is the perfect compliment to someone like that, and I’d argue that it’s even more important than the replacement himself. For a couple reasons.

For starters, Bailey is a dynamic substitute. Now, the Gunners have some good subs already. But in terms of dynamism, they don’t, and quite a few may be leaving sooner rather than later. Between his speed and his attacking ability, Bailey is the ideal super sub.

Take a look at his numbers thus far into the Bundesliga season with Bayer Leverkusen. Bailey has six goals and four assists. That is a superb tally already. But three of those goals have come as a substitute. The other three have been spread across three different positions, which leads into my next point.

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Bailey may seem like a straight winger, but he has major upside in his versatility. He can play on either side and he has even notched half of his assists while playing as a left wingback.

Also, perhaps the best news of all. He is a wide player. He is not a central midfielder. So none of this Ainsley Maitland-Niles concern over his long term position. The Oxlade-Chamberlain effect, if you will. This is a guy we do not have. A true wide player with every intent on staying there.

His speed is blazing, another thing that the Gunners don’t get much of these days. He is creative, he is deft in his touch, he has what it takes to be a big time player.

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But along those lines, he isn’t yet big enough to demand starts. Hence why pairing him with a superstar-ready Alexis-replacement is the ideal situation for him. Who knows, he could grow to supplant the “superstar ready” guy. That’s the objective, having players that aren’t just lifelong super subs, but capable of growing into something. That is Leon Bailey.

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