AS Roma close to completing transfer for Aston Villa winger

Leon Bailey joined Aston Villa in August 2021 for a fee of around $40.5 million. During his first two seasons at the West Midlands club, Bailey slowly found his footing in the Premier League. 

During the 2023-24 season Bailey rose to prominence. In 35 Premier League games, he scored 10 goals and added nine assists, making him one of the more exciting wingers in the league. Those performances helped Villa secure a spot in the 2024-25 Champions League. 

Unfortunately, Bailey failed to replicate his form last season. As such, he appears to have been deemed surplus to requirements at Villa Park, opening the door for a move to AS Roma. According to Frabrizio Romano, the move is nearing completion, with Roma agreeing to pay $2.3 million in a loan fee, with a $25.6 million option to buy.

Villa will likely be pleased that, should Roma pick up their option to sign Bailey next summer, they would have recouped almost all of their initial outlay to sign the winger four years ago. 

Villa recently sold midfielder Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for $52.7 million with a further $5.4 million in add-ons. That transfer, coupled with sending Bailey out on loan with a potential transfer, should be enough to keep Villa on the right side of the Profit and Sustainability Rules that have controlled much of their decision-making this summer.

Villa has become a high-level team under the leadership of Unai Emery. So, while this summer has been far from exciting, there is likely still a level of hope for what the new season can bring. 

And now that Villa is clear of any potential PSR penalties, the recruitment team can begin searching for potential upgrades to help the club continue pushing forward in its aim to become a Champions League regular.