Two former Man United bosses in Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Jose Mourinho hoping to pair Leon Bailey with former Villa frontmen
Leon Bailey of Aston Villa
Wanted man... Leon Bailey is in demand in Turkey
Two Turkish sides are battling it out to secure the services of Aston Villa's Jamaican international Leon Bailey.
Reports from Istanbul claim both Besiktas, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær in charge, and Fenerbache, now managed by Jose Mourinho, have expressed interest in the Villa winger.
The former Manchester United bosses have already strengthened their respective squads this summer, but now hope to add Bailey - and set-up partnerships with former Villa frontmen in the process.
Fenerbache have recruited striker Jhon Durán on loan from Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. He scored 12 goals in 29 games for Villa under Unai Emery last season before his surprise £71m January exit for Saudi Arabia.
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It promises to be an exciting season ahead for Aston Villa as Unai Emery's side look to build on last season's efforts and will look to finish even higher this time around.
Despite not achieving the same feat of the 2023/2024 season by securing a UEFA Champion's League spot — the 2024/25 campaign proved to be a decent one for the Villains. Villa managed to get into continental football by qualifying for the Europa League and will play their third consecutive season of European competition.
It looks as though there is a lot to look forward to this coming campaign. And with that in mind, we have produced our Aston Villa 2025/26 Kick-Off special — our brilliant guide to the new season.
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Meanwhile, Turkiye Gazetesi reports that Solskjær and Besiktas are hoping to link Bailey with their own loanee former Villa hitman, promotion hero Tammy Abraham.
Gazetesi adds that the Black Eagles are preparing an unknown offer for Bailey, who is valued at £25m by the website Transfermarkt.
Bailey, aged 27, is contracted to Villa until June 2027. He made 38 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring two goals.
Since arriving at Villa Park from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £30m in 2021, he has scored 16 goals and made 17 assists in 110 Premier League appearances.
Leon Bailey - keep or sell? Click HERE to have your say
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