According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano , Leon Bailey is expected to leave Aston Villa before the summer window closes. Negotiations are actively ongoing, with Al Diriyah from Saudi Arabia, English club Hull City and Spanish club Sevilla all having approached Villa over conditions for the winger's departure. It's a messy, late-window scramble for a player who once looked like a real asset at Villa Park.
Bailey's fall has been steep. The Jamaican international, 29, spent the first half of 2025/26 on loan at AS Roma in Serie A, clocking just seven appearances and no goals before Villa recalled him in January amid an injury crisis. Back at Villa Park, he added 13 Premier League appearances, still no goals, plus one goal across five Europa League fixtures as Villa lifted the European trophy.
PORTO, PORTUGAL – JULY 25: Leon Bailey of Aston Villa during a pre-season friendly match between FC Porto and Aston Villa at Estadio do Dragao on July 25, 2026 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
But none of that has saved him. Unai Emery has since brought in Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG to occupy Bailey's structural role, and the Jamaican has been completely frozen out. With Bailey's contract running to 2027, Villa have reportedly dropped their asking price to €9m-€10m just to get the deal done.
41 possession losses in 461 Premier League minutes. A 79% pass completion rate. Four interceptions across the entire domestic season. Those numbers don't lie. Bailey is an orthodox transition player who needs open space and structural freedom to produce anything meaningful. Emery's system demands the exact opposite: inverted, tactically obedient profiles like former player Morgan Rogers, who compressed central zones and protected the team's defensive shape without being asked twice.
There was a well-documented flashpoint against Manchester United where Emery reportedly lost his composure on the touchline after Bailey abandoned his tactical positioning to chase an individual action during a defensive transition. That incident said everything. At €10m, Aston Villa are simply clearing a misfit off the wage bill.
