Roma Nears €25M Deal for Leon Bailey in Late Transfer Push

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: August 18, 2025

Leon Bailey celebrates after scoring a goal for Aston Villa

Key Takeaways:

Roma have entered advanced talks with Aston Villa over a transfer for Leon Bailey
The proposed deal involves a €2 million loan with a €23 million option to buy
Bailey has made 144 appearances for Villa over four seasons, scoring 22 goals

Transfer Negotiations Approach Final Stages

AS Roma are reportedly close to securing the services of Jamaican winger Leon Bailey from Aston Villa, as the Serie A side look to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the close of the summer transfer window. Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini is targeting multiple reinforcements, and Bailey has emerged as a primary attacking target.

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that negotiations between the two clubs have been constant, though a formal agreement has not yet been reached. Discussions are said to be progressing constructively as both sides work towards a resolution.

Monday's reports claim that Roma are closing in on a deal with Aston Villa for Jamaica international Leon Bailey for a total cost in the region of €25m. pic.twitter.com/upkb5IoM7T
— Football Italia (@footballitalia) August 18, 2025

Transfer Structure and Financial Details

The proposed arrangement would see Bailey initially join Roma on loan for a fee of €2 million. The Italian club would then retain the option to make the move permanent for an additional €23 million, bringing the total potential value of the deal to €25 million.

Leon Bailey’s Villa Tenure

Bailey, now 28, joined Aston Villa from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 for a fee just shy of €35 million. Over his four-season spell in the Premier League, he has made a total of 144 appearances across all competitions, netting 22 goals.

His 2024/25 campaign, however, was disrupted by injury setbacks and reduced playing time, particularly following Marcus Rashford’s arrival on loan in the second half of the season. Rashford’s presence under manager Unai Emery limited Bailey’s opportunities to feature prominently in Villa’s attacking line-up.