Roma get their first Jamaican straight from England

He’s not Usain Bolt, but he is from Jamaica. And he’s incredibly fast. Roma have been chasing him for a decade and have finally got their hands on him—though not as a player in top form, but rather as Aston Villa’s castoff. Be that as it may, Roma have officially unveiled Leon Bailey. The Jamaican international arrives on loan worth 3,000,000 euros with a purchase option set at 20,000,000.

Gian Piero Gasperini was very dissatisfied with how the transfer window was unfolding—the experienced coaching veteran expected many more reinforcements. Bailey is the fifth signing, the third on loan with an option to buy. Roma have only opened their wallet for Wesley from Flamengo (25,000,000) and Neil El Aynaoui from Lens (23,500,000). They also signed goalkeeper Devis Vazquez after his departure from Milan, as well as Juventus’ young shot-stopper Radoslav Zelezny.

Gasperini already unhappy in Roma

On paper, this looks thin, but Roma believe that a player like Bailey could be of great use on the right wing. The extent of the Giallorossi’s belief in the former Genk and Leverkusen player is shown by the fact that they are ready to give him a contract until 2030 next June, as if there were no chance of misjudging their first-ever Jamaican footballer in the history of the Olimpico club. The Kingston-born winger, after a few solid years at Villa, suffered a downturn last season, collecting only two goals and four assists in 32 matches. Towards the end of the season, Unai Emery practically nailed him to the bench after a series of injuries that slowed him down significantly.

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Bailey was, four years ago, one of Aston Villa’s most expensive transfers ever, arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for 32,000,000. The big question is whether he will ever manage to return to the level of performance he showed at the BayArena. Serie A has long been a destination for Premier League players whose careers are declining and who are looking to revive them. Leon is just the latest among them.