If six years is a long time in football, it’s an eternity in the transfer rumor cycle. In the summer of 2019, Roma found themselves in the market for a pacey, clever winger to fill Stephan El Shaarawy’s shoes. With the Pharaoh chasing the bag to the Chinese Super League, Roma searched far and wide to find a suitable wide player to compete with Cengiz Ünder, Justin Kluivert, and Diego Perotti in Eusebio Di Francesco’s rotation.
While they ultimately stood pat with that trio, one intriguing name appeared
on the radar that August: Leon Bailey, who was just a wide-eyed youngster attempting to make a name for himself with Bayer Leverkusen. With only five goals and one assist during the 2018-2019 season, Bailey wasn’t exactly the second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo, but he showed enough pace and promise to make one think better days were ahead.
Bayer Leverkusen decided to stand pat, keeping Bailey for two more years before selling him to Aston Villa for a cool €32 million in August 2021. Since then, Bailey has had an up-and-down career, punctuated by his 10-goal, nine-assist campaign in 2023-2024, which helped the Villains qualify for the Champions League.
While Villa manager Unai Emery remains upbeat about Bailey’s place in his squad, according to The Athletic, the 28-year-old Jamaican winger could be one of several players to leave the Premier League club this summer.
From The Athletic:
The 28-year-old signed a new contract in February 2024, which runs until 2027. He is one of multiple players available to leave the Midlands club, including Alex Moreno and Leander Dendoncker.
Clubs in Turkey — including Besiktas — and the Saudi Pro League are also keen on Bailey but Roma are emerging as the strongest suitor, after discussions took place over a Saudi move earlier in the window.
While they don’t speculate on a price, it’s safe to assume that Aston Villa will want every bit of Bailey’s €28 million Transfermarkt valuation. That’s not an exorbitant sum by today’s standards, but with Bailey making his home on the right wing and Roma presumably looking for a left-sided player, this rumor may not pass the sniff test.
