Unai Emery to be handed early pre-season boost at Aston Villa as Leon Bailey update emerges
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is likely enjoying a well-earned break having successfully guided his side into the Champions League last season.
With the European Championships and Copa America only a matter away, the likes of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez are preparing to try and help their side lift some International silverware ahead of the start of pre-season.
But one man who won’t be helping his national side this summer is Leon Bailey after a new update emerged about the Jamaican international after he was named in the Reggae Boyz squad.
According to reports, the Villa winger has declined the invitation to be a part of the squad for this summer’s Copa America having said he was taking a break from International football earlier in the season [Jamaica Observer, 13 June].
This can only be good news for Emery and his side as it means one of the Villans’ most important players will be fit, ready and refreshed so that he can make his mark in pre-season.
Will Leon Bailey still be an Aston Villa player next season under Unai Emery?
Although the majority of Emery’s side impressed last term, Bailey was one of the standout stars as that was clear to see in the draw with Liverpool at the end of the campaign which all but secured a top-four place.
The 26-year-old completed 76 per cent of his 21 attempted passes against Jurgen Klopp’s side and while he didn’t manage to lay on an assist, he did produce a mammoth xA of 0.97, according to Fotmob.
In total, the Jamaican winger produced three goal-scoring chances in the match from three passes into the final third, one of which saw Diego Carlos produce the miss of the season from only a matter of yards out.
Throughout that entire game, Bailey was a livewire in possession as he completed five dribbles in the match which was more than any other player on either side, only losing possession twice in the entire game.
Although he wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet, he did get into some excellent scoring positions as he had nine touches in Liverpool’s box and had three attempts on Allison’s goal, even if none of them tested the keeper.
Defensively, the 26-year-old wasn’t afraid to get stuck in either as he entered 14 ground duels, winning eight of them all while registering an impressive four ball recoveries as he won back possession.
To top it off, Bailey won 100 per cent of his attempted tackles as he played a crucial role in dragging the Villans’ back into the contest late on at Villa Park.
When compared to other midfielders in the Premier League last season, the Villa star places in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals scored per game, with an average of 0.44 every 90 minutes, according to Fbref.
On top of that, he sits in the top three per cent of his positional peers for assists per match, with an average of 0.39. In the final third, there were few players more lethal last term than the Jamaican winger.
When does Villa’s pre-season start under Unai Emery at Villa Park?
With so many of Villa’s key players playing for their international sides over the summer, it will be a massive early boost to Emery to have one of his biggest stars fully rested ahead of the start of next season.
Hopefully, he can hit the ground running again next term and help fire Aston Villa back up the table once again.
In other Aston Villa news, Villa are believed to be hoping Liverpool enter a £70million bidding war for Douglas Luiz this summer
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