Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey is reportedly poised to sign a new long-term contract with the club, with an agreement said to be close.
The 26-year-old arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2021, but his first season or so with us was blighted by injuries as he struggled for form and consistency.
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Like with many others in the current squad though, he significantly benefited from the arrival of Unai Emery, who has continued to show faith in him and has now turned him into a pivotal figure in the Villa XI.
Bailey’s numbers have continued to improve through his time with us, as after registering one goal and two assists in 18 appearances in the 2021/22 campaign, he bagged five goals and four assists in 36 outings last season.
The Jamaican international has already surpassed both of those tallies this year, as he has been in superb form with 10 goals and nine assists in 31 appearances across all competitions.
Not only has he stayed healthy and fit, but he’s showing consistency and quality in his play to establish himself as a fundamental piece in our attack on that right flank, and so the suggestion that a new contract might be close doesn’t come as a surprise.
As per the Express and Star, Bailey is close to signing a new deal to commit his long-term future to the club after talks began last month, and so it’s hoped that we get official news in the coming days or weeks to confirm the report.
Fabrizio Romano has since added that there is a verbal agreement in place between the two parties, and Bailey will get a salary increase and long-term contract with the expectation he’ll put pen to paper very soon.
It follows his agent and stepfather, Craig Butler, dropping a big hint recently that a new deal is close to being done, as noted in the report above, and so it’s hoped that all these signs point towards an extended stay at Villa for Bailey, with his current deal running until June 2025.
Either way, with around 18 months left on that contract, it makes sense for Villa to try and get an extension in place as soon as possible, but it’s hoped that it will be wrapped up sooner rather than later and he can continue to play an influential part in our bid for success this season and beyond.
