Aston Villa have confirmed that Leon Bailey has signed a new long-term contract with the club. The winger is into his third season at the club and his previous deal, it is understood, was due to expire in the summer of 2025. With less than 18 months left remaining on that agreement, Villa have acted to tie the Jamaican international down to fresh terms.
It’s a contract Bailey is deserving of, too; he’s been in excellent form across all competitions for Villa this year, going to another level under Unai Emery and becoming an important member of the first-team squad which is fighting it out with the traditional Premier League heavyweights towards the top of the division ahead of the run-in.
In all competitions this season, Bailey, 26, has an outstanding 10 goals and 9 assists, including 13 goal contributions in the Premier League. One of those goals was the game-winning goal in Villa Park’s historic 1-0 victory over Manchester City just before Christmas. Bailey has in fact already easily surpassed his stats from his first two years at Villa Park this campaign.
In all competitions this season, Bailey, 26, has an outstanding 10 goals and 9 assists, including 13 goal contributions in the Premier League. One of those goals was the game-winning goal in Villa Park’s historic 1-0 victory over Manchester City just before Christmas. Bailey has in fact already easily surpassed his stats from his first two years at Villa Park this campaign.
I spoke with him this year, when we started pre-season, about how we could improve different issues, different things he wasn’t showing us in a consistent way, and his reaction was fantastic,” Emery said of Bailey recently. “His commitment has improved, his focus, working harder every day – scoring goals and getting assists.”
The former Bayer Leverkusen attacker, who began his playing career in Belgium, joined in 2021 to help fill the void left by the £100m sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City. He, Emiliano Buendia and Danny Ings were all recruited with the profits of that sale, and this season especially Bailey has stepped up in the absence of the stricken Buendia to supply Emery’s side with goals and assists in important moments.
Take into account the more recent struggles of fellow Leverkusen import Moussa Diaby after he made a big impression early into his first season at the club, and Bailey’s contribution in the final third has been all the more important. A good bit of that is down to Emery, who is extracting more of a tune – certainly in terms of performances of substance – from Bailey than Dean Smith or Steven Gerrard managed to do.
Now there are fresh concerns on the horizon; Boubacar Kamara limped off with a knee injury on Sunday during the defeat to Manchester United and, with Leander Dendoncker having been permitted to join Napoli on loan in January, Villa haven’t as many suitable replacements to turn to without utilising more attack-minded types like Jacob Ramsey, Youri Tielemans or Nicolo Zaniolo to play alongside Douglas Luiz, in the event Kamara’s injury is serious.
While Bailey, who has established himself as a dependable player this season, and other players like him will be counted on to deliver even more, Emery and his team will also need to adjust to the unenviable situation of coping without key personnel while Villa is currently struggling defensively.
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