Roma Boss Discusses Leon Bailey ‘Ordeal’ As Winger Returns To Aston Villa Amid Mathys Tel Links
Leon Bailey is back at Aston Villa after Roma cut his loan spell short.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 21 January 2026
Gian Piero Gasperini has explained why Roma ended the Leon Bailey loan, which has seen him return to Aston Villa this month.
Roma paid €2m to sign Bailey on a season-long loan last summer, with an option to buy for €22m.
However, the Aston Villa loanee’s loan stint at Roma was wracked by injury issues that severely limited his game time.
Bailey made just 11 appearances, clocking up a mere 317 minutes of action. He didn’t score once, though he registered two assists.
Injuries the main reason for Roma sending Leon Bailey back to Aston Villa
Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma believed Leon Bailey “could really contribute” in the Italian capital.
However, injuries became the main reason the club felt they had to act and put an end to his loan.
Gasperini pointed to Torino, another game Bailey had to sit out, despite hopes he was getting up to speed.
“Unfortunately, Bailey’s experience was negative, for both him and us,” the Italian told reporters.
“He got injured on his first day of training and that was the start of a real ordeal.
“He took a long time to recover, he then saw some action, but just as it seemed he was getting up to speed he relapsed.
“It was a big shame, because we thought he could really contribute to the team.
“I believe injuries were the main factor in this decision, including what happened in our last match in Turin, when he had to sit out again.
“As he was on loan it’s clear that a decision had to be taken. Maybe if he’d been a Roma player we would’ve probably just got on with things.”
What Gian Piero Gasperini has said about replacing Leon Bailey amid Mathys Tel links
Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged that Leon Bailey returning to Aston Villa has opened up a slot in the Roma squad.
However, he remained coy on the prospect of bringing in a replacement.
“This opens up a vacancy in the squad, obviously,” said Gasperini.
“I don’t know what will happen in the last ten days of the transfer window. We’ll weigh things up.
“I think that if opportunities arise that can improve the team, as happened with the [Donyell] Malen situation, then we should seize them.
“Otherwise, we’ll continue as we are.”
Aston Villa can confirm that Leon Bailey has been recalled from his loan at AS Roma ⏮️ pic.twitter.com/Z9doEuXlKb
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 21, 2026
Donyell Malen has joined Roma from Villa, but the Giallorossi may not be done yet.
Reports say Roma are eyeing Mathys Tel from Tottenham Hotspur, also in the English Premier League.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank removed Tel from their Champions League squad.
He is said to be deeply unhappy with the decision and, as a result, could move on over the coming days.
Tel could be one of two Tottenham players on the way to Roma if all goes well.
Spurs full-back Radu Dragusin wants Roma, despite rival interest from AC Milan.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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