---
title: "Aston Villa: Leon Bailey now ‘looking for a transfer’"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-transfer-news-leon-bailey-now-looking-for-a-transfer-steven-gerrard-philippe-coutinho/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2022-03-12T19:40:49Z"
modified: "2022-03-12T19:40:49Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Leon Bailey now ‘looking for a transfer’

**Leon Bailey will now be considering potential routes out of Aston Villa, [transfer insider](https://twitter.com/DeanJonesSoccer) [Dean Jones says](https://www.givemesport.com/87982633-aston-villa-28-8m-ace-looking-for-a-transfer-after-bold-gerrard-call).**

### The lowdown

Villa paid [£28.8million](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/leon-bailey/profil/spieler/387626) to sign Bailey from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen just last summer.

But he’s only started four Premier League games in total and, since returning from a thigh injury midway through last month, he’s been limited to three appearances off the bench and been an unused substitute on two occasions (via [Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/leon-bailey/leistungsdaten/spieler/387626)).

Bailey is a winger but the system favoured by Gerrard recently is narrow, with winter signing Philippe Coutinho [slotting into an attacking midfield role behind](https://www.sofascore.com/aston-villa-leeds-united/JsP) strike partnership Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

### The latest

Jones thinks the change in system from the manager will have Bailey considering his future less than a year into his Villa career.

“I think it leaves Leon Bailey looking for a transfer, to be honest,” he told [Give Me Sport](https://www.givemesport.com/87982633-aston-villa-28-8m-ace-looking-for-a-transfer-after-bold-gerrard-call).

### The verdict

Bailey’s arrival was greeted with great fanfare. The Guardian’s Josh Wright described him as an [‘ideal replacement’](https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2021/jul/29/premier-league-transfer-target-club-summer-window) for Jack Grealish (following his move to Manchester City), while Eurosport’s Pete Sharland tipped him to [light up the Premier League](https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/premier-league/2021-2022/football-news-from-leon-bailey-to-frank-onyeka-seven-under-the-radar-signings-to-light-up-premier-le_sto8485737/story.shtml).

And no wonder, given that the Jamaican finished the 2020/21 season with an excellent tally of [26 goals/assists](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/leon-bailey/leistungsdaten/spieler/387626/plus/0?saison=2020) for Leverkusen.

But fitness issues have robbed Bailey of the chance to show Gerrard what he can do, and as a consequence he’s now employing a system that [he believes gets the best out of Ings and Watkins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBTWRkTE0xs).

**In other news, [John Percy dropped a ‘complicated’ update on Philippe Coutinho](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/aston-villa-john-percy-drops-complicated-philippe-coutinho-update/).**