Three Premier League clubs Leon Bailey could join as Aston Villa set for imminent loan decision
Leon Bailey looks set to return to Aston Villa from his loan at Roma imminently.
The Jamaica international notched 24 appearances in the Premier League last term, but he was loaned to Serie A in the summer, with Unai Emery seeing no place for him in his plans for 2025-26.
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in August that Aston Villa are keen to offload Bailey permanently at the end of the current campaign, but for now, another loan move appears to be in the offing.
His loan deal with Roma is set to be terminated, according to journalist Ekrem Konur, with Aston Villa currently trying to find a new loan club to send him to for the second half of the campaign.
There is currently interest from the likes of Girona, Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Besiktas, but it would be a huge surprise if there aren’t Premier League clubs who may try and make a move.
With that in mind, Football Insider picks out three possible destinations for Bailey across the league this month.
Leeds United
Leeds fans have quickly grown frustrated with Noah Okafor following some inconsistent displays in recent months, and Bailey could represent ideal competition for the summer signing.
Daniel Farke has unlocked his team by switching to a 3-5-2 formation in recent weeks, but the Villa man would provide a more attacking option in either of the two wing-back positions.
Leeds are desperate for more firepower this month as they bid to avoid the drop in the second half of the campaign, and the opportunity to bring in an experienced Premier League attacker on what would likely be a relatively cheap deal may prove too good to pass up.
In addition, if Farke opts to switch back to the 4-3-3 that was commonly used at the start of the season, as he did for the recent draw at Sunderland, then Bailey would be perfect for the right-wing position.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest have also lacked firepower of late, and they have struggled to truly replace the impact of Anthony Elanga in the wide areas.
Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa were expensive additions in the summer that haven’t really panned out so far, while Omari Hutchinson is still showing the inconsistency that is common among young attacking players.
Morgan Gibbs-White is the only member of Sean Dyche’s squad to have surpassed five league goal contributions for the campaign, so they are in desperate need of more creativity in the side.
It was only two seasons ago when Bailey managed 19 Premier League goal involvements alone for Villa, and as a result, it could be a gamble worth taking for Forest this winter.
With Douglas Luiz set to be recalled from his loan by Juventus, Forest will have a loan spot freed up to potentially use on Bailey.
Sunderland
Sunderland are on the slide somewhat after their remarkable start to the season, and they are in need of a few additions to reinvigorate their group.
The newly-promoted side have been left with a depleted squad of late due to AFCON, and they are struggling to find the cutting edge in tight games to turn one point into three.
Regis Le Bris’ side have drawn four of their last five Premier League games, but have also found the net just twice in that time.
With the likes of Chemsdine Talbi and Bertrand Traore still away on international duty, Bailey could be the perfect wide option to come in and provide Sunderland with another outlet to call upon.