The 28-year-old arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and has gone on to make 144 appearances for the club, contributing 22 goals and 24 assists in those outings.
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Unfortunately, after a brilliant season the year before last, the Jamaican international struggled with injuries and poor form last season, and that in turn led to speculation over his future and ultimately a departure.
According to [Fabrizio Romano](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1957464286080450579), Villa have reached a verbal agreement with Roma over an initial loan switch for a €2/3m fee, while an option-to-buy clause has been inserted into the deal which gives the Serie A giants the choice to sign him permanently for €22m next summer.
It’s expected that a medical will be scheduled and that Bailey will travel to the Italian capital to finalise the agreement, but it looks as though his time at Villa is coming to an imminent end.
As noted above, there is a tinge of sadness seeing him leave as when playing with confidence and full health, Bailey was a key figure for Unai Emery with his threat and ability to be decisive in the final third, while he provided us with an important balance by stretching the pitch with his quality down the right wing.
However, he fell way short of expectations and the need for more influence from a player with such a key role in the side last year, and coupled with Villa’s ongoing financial headaches surrounding compliance with PSR and UEFA’s regulations, sacrifices were seemingly needed this summer and Bailey has emerged as one along with Jacob Ramsey.
It’s hoped that he shines at Roma and rediscovers his best form to seal a permanent move, as that will not only benefit Villa financially to move him on if that option to buy is triggered, but he may well enjoy the fresh start elsewhere to secure a more prominent role in the coming years.
Time will tell if that’s how things play out, but from a Villa perspective, we surely will have an eye on the transfer market in the final fortnight of the window to bring in reinforcements, to at least fill the voids that have now opened up from exits over the course of the summer.
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