Aston Villa are reportedly in talks with Roma over a possible deal for Leon Bailey, who has attracted interest from elsewhere too.
The 28-year-old arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and has since gone on to contribute 22 goals and 24 assists in 144 appearances for the club.
READ MORE: Crucial talks scheduled which will determine future of Villa ace
After a brilliant campaign the season before last, hopes were high that the Jamaican international was going to continue to thrive under Unai Emery, but unfortunately a combination of injuries and a lack of form saw him disappoint last year, as he managed just two goals and four assists in 38 outings.
With a limited impact over pre-season this summer and long-standing speculation linking him with an exit from Villa, The Athletic now report that Roma are in talks with Villa over a deal for Bailey, and although no formal bid has been presented as of yet, the Serie A giants are considered to be the most interested party at this stage and could advance their approach by making an offer.
It’s added that there is also interest from Saudi clubs as well as Besiktas, and so it remains to be seen if this now develops into a sensible exit for Bailey this summer.
Despite being a key player for Emery, the Villa boss needs options in the final third capable of providing more quality and consistency in front of goal, and that didn’t happen for certain individuals last season despite our progress across all competitions.
Evann Guessand has arrived this summer to add a fresh dynamic to our attack and hopefully add a more decisive presence in the frontline, and the expectation is that a sale or two will be needed now to balance our books and fund additional incomings.
Amid speculation over Jacob Ramsey’s future, time will tell if both he and Bailey leave in the coming weeks to really free up space and give Villa significant financial flexibility, but particularly in Bailey’s case, an inability to really stamp his mark last year and prove that he can be an influential figure moving forward could now lead to a departure, which may well prove to be the best thing for both parties moving forward.
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