Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey but face competition from Roma, claims the London Evening Standard.
Bailey was a revelation for Leverkusen last season and was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in January.
There were even suggestions Bailey, who was born in Jamaica, could represent England at the 2018 World Cup.
However, the 20-year-old is reportedly keen to leave Leverkusen this summer and Chelsea are ready to step up their interest in the winger.
Maurizio Sarri’s side successfully fended off interest in Willian from Barcelona after the Spanish side hi-jacked Roma’s move for Brazilian forward Malcom.
Chelsea still want to bolster their wide areas and believe Bailey has the talent to develop into one of the best players in the Premier League.
The Premier League outfit will face competition from Roma, who have identified Bailey as a top transfer target in the wake of missing out on Malcom.
Bailey scored nine goals and provided six assists in 30 league appearances for Leverkusen last season.
Furthermore, only Philipp Max (318) and Joshua Kimmich (212) attempted more crosses than Bailey (196) in the Bundesliga last season.
