“There will be a market for him, I would be surprised if he was at Villa next season”- Renowed Journalist Dean Jones claims Aston Villa could sell star winger this summer
Football journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Aston Villa could lose star winger Leon Bailey this summer as Emery weighs things up.
Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey could leave the club during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.
The Villans’ fortunes have turned around so much this season, with things looking bleak earlier in the campaign when Steven Gerrard was in charge. Since Unai Emery has come in as manager, however, they have been transformed, with results and performances going up a significant gear.
So many individuals have improved under the Spaniard as the season has gone on and Bailey is one of them, because a more consistent and dangerous presence in Villa’s attack. The £100,000-a-week attacker has scored and assisted four times apiece in the Premier League in 2022/23, with his most recent assist coming in the 2-1 win over Tottenham earlier this month.
The 25-year-old’s current deal at Villa Park expires in the summer of 2025, however, and while there is still a couple of years left on it, there is the possibility that the club decides to potentially accept an offer for him at the end of the season.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Bailey is someone who could possibly depart once the summer window opens:
“I think there will be a market for him. He’s the type of player that will always attract a certain level of club. I would be surprised if he was at Villa next season, even if he was to have a banging last game of the season.”
This is a tricky one for Villa, with Bailey’s displays much improved in recent months and his age meaning he could improve further in the coming years. That being said, he does arguably feel like someone who could both be improved and who Villa could receive good money for, so it is a key decision to make in the coming months.
The key ultimately depends on whether Emery sees the 19-cap and three-goal Jamaica international as an important figure moving forward, or if he believes there are stronger options out there.
Granted, he has got better after some questionable form in the past, but a more prolific wide man could help take Villa to that next level this season – someone who can deliver more relentless numbers than eight Premier League goal contributions in 32 appearances.
If Bailey stays, it is unlikely that many supporters will be complaining, but equally, there would be logic in letting him go, helping boost Villa’s summer transfer kitty in the process.
