Leon Bailey Signs for Aston Villa

This Summer, Bailey was offered to Premier League clubs after Leverkusen failed to qualify for the Champions League. The news was announced on Saturday in a statement that said, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa agreed to transfer Leon Bailey after he completed a medical and finalise personal terms.

Many of England’s top clubs, such as Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United tracked the Jamaica international last summer, but they were put off by the £40m price.

Bailey opted to play for Jamaica, his home country. Even though he was previously eligible to play for England, because two of his grandparents are holding British passports, and he was also being monitored by Gareth Southgate. 

Aston Villa’s first set of fixtures for 2021/22 are Newcastle, Watford and Brentford first. Bailey’s imminent arrival came after the news that Villa was ready to accept Manchester City’s £100m bid for the captain Jack Grealish.

While Villa reportedly did not formally respond to the offer made by City, after it was made on Friday, they are willing to allow their captain to leave for the right price.

It means Grealish now has to decide whether he wants to move to the Etihad Stadium in what would be the biggest transfer in English football history.

The previous record is held by Paul Pogba, who re-joined Manchester United for £89m from Juventus in 2016.

Although they are now ready to accept City’s bid, Villa did offer Grealish a new and improved contract earlier this summer, despite him only signing a five-year deal last September.