Leon Bailey, the versatile winger requested by manager Gian Piero Gasperini to bolster Roma’s attacking line, arrived at Ciampino Airport via private jet from Birmingham, England, shortly after 2:30 PM. The agreement with Aston Villa to bring the 1997-born forward to the Italian capital—the first Jamaican player to wear the club’s iconic yellow and red jersey—was finalized as a paid loan deal worth just over €2 million. The deal includes a fixed redemption option set at €22 million. Roma will cover the player’s full €3.7 million salary.
Approximately fifty fans gathered at the airport greeted the player, who was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, with stadium chants, applause, and requests for autographs and selfies as he exited the General Air Terminal to enter a waiting NCC van destined for the city. Bailey is now expected to undergo medical examinations, which will be followed by the signing of his contract. He will be available for selection by Gasperini for Saturday’s match against Bologna.
Having grown up in poverty with limited formal education, Bailey taught himself multiple languages and was adopted by his current agent, Craig Butler, who brought him to Europe. He made his professional debut in the Belgian league with Genk in 2014. A transfer to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga followed in 2017, before his move to the Premier League with Aston Villa in 2021. He now begins a new chapter in Serie A with Roma.