Another major transfer is on the cards at Aston Villa - as a deal is agreed with an Italian club.
Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey has now landed in Rome ahead of a season-long loan switch to AS Roma, Birmingham World understands.
Bailey, heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park all summer long, is set to spend the 2025/26 campaign in the Italian capital and he could extend his stay if he impresses. Unai Emery was indifferent about Bailey staying or going but an exit seemed inevitable as the Jamaica international had fallen down the pecking order.
It’s understood Bailey will join Roma on an initial loan deal with an option to buy. Although the future fee has not been disclosed to Birmingham World, a report from Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport suggests the loan will cost €2 million (£1.7m) and the buy-out clause is worth €23 million (£19.8m).
Why Leon Bailey is leaving Aston Villa
It’s a great shame that Bailey is going, as the winger has been a bright spark for Villa in the past and was once one of the club’s most exciting players to watch. Back in 2023/24, the season Villa finished fourth to qualify for the Champions League, Bailey scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 35 Premier League games. He was sensational.
On his day, there’s no doubting that Bailey can tear apart any opposition. The problem Villa were finding, however, is that those ‘days’ don’t come around very often anymore. They once did; Bailey averaged a goal or an assist every 109 Premier League minutes during 2023/24. But that form is long gone and Bailey is no longer at the forefront of Emery’s plans, so a sale is sensible.
It also makes sense financially for Villa to sanction an exit as the club has had to navigate the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and UEFA’s squad cost rules (SCR). Bailey, as a high earner and a player of fairly substantial market value, was always going to be high up on the list of players who could be sacrificed.
Jacob Ramsey pens emotional farewell
Bailey isn’t the only wide midfielder allowed to leave Villa as Jacob Ramsey recently completed a permanent transfer to Premier League rivals Newcastle United. Announced less than 24 hours after the bore 0-0 draw between Villa and Newcastle, Ramsey has joined the Magpies in a deal understood to be worth £39 million plus add-ons.
As an academy product, Ramsey has bagged Villa pure, bookable profit that will go a long way to helping with next year’s PSR situation. It was far from ideal having to let him go, though, as he’s a popular local lad with real talent. Emery was confident Ramsey could become a key player one day, but the financial rules have revoked that opportunity.
Ramsey, excited to join Newcastle but devastated to leave his boyhood club, has penned a message to Villa supporters. “It’s impossible to put into words what playing for Aston Villa has meant to me,” Ramsey began in an Instagram post.
“From being a young fan in the Holte End to living my dream and scoring in front of it. This club has been an extended family to me, and I’ve got memories for life - from making my Premier League debut, experiencing Champions League nights back at Villa Park and scoring my first goals in those competitions.
“To everyone at Aston Villa, both at the academy and in the first team, thank you for your support, belief and guidance. You’ve helped me become the person and player I am today. I’ve played with some of the best & made friends for life.
“And finally to the fans - thank you for the love and backing. To represent you, as a boy from Birmingham, has been an absolute honour. Onto the next chapter now, but wish you all nothing but the best in the future. Thank you for everything!! JJ.”
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