Aston Villa are about to make winning Europa League more difficult with Leon Bailey news
Leon Bailey’s Aston Villa future has been widely speculated so far this summer.
The winger struggled for form in the 2024/25 campaign, which resulted in the Jamaican international falling out of the starting XI regularly.
Given Villa’s interest in Marco Asensio, this has only heightened speculation that Bailey could leave Villa Park.
However, reports indicated earlier this week that there was no concrete interest in Bailey despite the uncertainty.
Now, the transfer saga has developed further with days to go until the new Premier League season.
Roma hold talks with Aston Villa for Leon Bailey
On Wednesday, numerous clubs were linked with Bailey.
According to The Athletic on 13 August, Roma have now held talks with Aston Villa over a potential move for the winger.
While no bid has been placed yet, the Italian side are emerging as the strongest suitor.
On top of this, there is also interest in Saudi Arabia and Turkey with Besiktas eyeing Bailey.
- Bailey only picked up six goal contributions last season
- The winger signed a contract until 2027 last year
However, letting him go to Roma would be a big mistake. The Italian side are in the Europa League this season alongside Aston Villa.
With Unai Emery likely to have aspirations to win the competition, by directly strengthening a rival, it could damage their hopes of bringing home a trophy.
If Villa want to sell Bailey, they should look to negotiate with teams outside of this competition, with a Saudi side being preferable.
If not, it would be a disaster if the Villa star directly contributed to their exit from Europe in the upcoming season, with Emery having no one to blame but himself.
Leon Bailey vs Macro Asensio
If Asensio were to replace Bailey this summer, there will be question marks on whether the Spaniard can replace the Villa star.
Last season, the PSG star actually claimed more goal contributions than Bailey at Villa Park despite featuring for the Birmingham outfit for half a season.
However, according to Fbref on 13 August, the Jamaican international was far better on the ball, something that Asensio struggles with.
| Stats from the 2024/25 campaign per 90 mins | Leon Bailey | Marco Asensio |
| Non-penalty goals | 0.11 | 0.39 |
| Assists | 0.16 | 0.28 |
| Shots | 2.00 | 3.21 |
| Progressive carries | 4.32 | 2.60 |
| Success take-ons | 1.57 | 0.94 |
| Touches in the opposition box | 5.03 | 4.54 |
On top of this, Asensio’s wage demands at Villa could be high, with the winger currently earning £241,000-a-week at the Parisians, something that will surely have to be cut.
However, while the signing would no doubt be risky, goals are what win games, and the Spaniard proved he could outdo Bailey in this area in a few months.
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