Bailey joins AS Roma on loan - Reports claim Jamaican injured at first training session

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Leon Bailey yesterday completed a loan move from English Premier League club Aston Villa to Italian club Roma.

The Jamaica winger, the report said, has joined the Italian side for the 2025-26 season and the deal includes an option to buy.

Bailey, who is 28 years old, made a PS25m move to Villa from German club Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and went on to score 22 goals in 144 appearances.

He claimed a career-high 14 goals in 52 games in all competitions in the 2023-24 season.

Bailey had signed a new contract with Villa in February 2024 that runs until 2027.

INJURED

Meanwhile, subsequent new reports on Tribuna.com claimed that Bailey's tenure at AS Roma was marred by a muscular injury sustained during his first training session , just hours after signing his contract.

Bailey, who arrived in Rome on Monday evening to complete the EU3 million loan move from Aston Villa, with a EU20 million option to buy plus EU2 million in add-ons, faces an uncertain debut timeline, according to Sky Sport Italia.

Bailey, who underwent medical tests on Tuesday before finalising his transfer yesterday morning, was participating in Roma's training when he stopped and clutched his leg at the session's end.

The extent of the injury remains unclear, but there are concerns he may miss Roma's Serie A opener against Bologna and potentially remain sidelined until after the international break in early September.

The injury echoes Bailey's struggles last season at Aston Villa, where muscular issues limited him to 38 appearances, including just 14 Premier League starts, with two goals and four assists.