Aston Villa are reportedly set to open talks with Leon Bailey over a new contract as he continues to impress for us this season.
The 26-year-old joined Villa in August 2021, but he struggled in the first year or so due to ongoing injury issues and inconsistent form.
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Much like many other players in the current Villa squad though, he has benefited greatly from the arrival of Unai Emery, and has now established himself as a pivotal figure in the side.
Bailey has scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 26 appearances across all competitions so far this season, and it appears as though that influential form is set to be rewarded.
According to The Daily Mail, Villa are expected to begin talks over a new deal with the Jamaican international, as he could become the latest key individual to agree new terms and secure his long-term future at the club, while it’s also suggested that he could become one of our top earners.
While it’s vital that Villa continue to strengthen the squad moving forward with smart signings to help us become increasingly competitive, it’s equally as important that we keep the core of the current squad in place to build on our progress under Emery thus far.
Given how consistent and reliable he has been so far this season, and in the back-end of last season following Emery’s appointment, Bailey has seemingly now moved into that bracket of core players, and he’ll hopefully continue to go from strength to strength under the guidance of Emery and his coaching staff.
Time will tell if a new agreement is announced soon or if it will wait until the end of the season, with the latter arguably the more sensible option just to give Bailey the challenge of maintaining his form across an entire campaign. With his current deal set to run until June 2025, there isn’t necessarily a rush to agree new terms, but Villa may well want to get his future secured sooner rather than later.