Pundit says £25m player is blossoming at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey has been praised by ESPN pundit Herculez Gomez for how much he has improved at Villa Park.

The Villans ace previously struggled at B6, but under Unai Emery’s tutelage, he’s now a force to be reckoned with, according to the pundit.

Gomez, speaking on ESPN, spoke of Bailey‘s return to form as a sign of Emery’s great credentials while discussing Villa as a good destination for Jonathan David.

“Let me throw out some names to you,” he said.

“Leon Bailey. He is a great case of what Unai Emery and Aston Villa have been able to do for the player.

“Under his previous two coaches at Villa, he wasn’t doing well and wasn’t the hype and promise you saw at Leverkusen. And they paid big money for him.

“But now under Unai Emery, we are seeing a player blossom at Aston Villa.”

Leon Bailey back to his best under Unai Emery at Aston Villa

Bailey joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 for £25million, the Villans landing a player previously sought after by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Much was expected of the Jamaica international after he bagged 28 goals in 119 Bundesliga appearances for Leverkusen, but for a while, he didn’t reach those heights.

Bailey spent his first season at Villa struggling under Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard, and it took him a while to get back to his best after Unai Emery took the reins.

Emery often opted for Emiliano Buendia, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn in wide positions ahead of the 26-year-old.

And this season, despite Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo also joining Villa, Bailey has enjoyed an upturn in form after staying and fighting for his place.

Indeed, reports are doing the rounds suggesting the Villans are looking to open talks with Bailey over a new contract at Villa Park.

It’s great to see a player who was previously struggling now in the form of his life and potentially in line for a new contract.

It goes to show how good the player is, and how he always had that talent and drive in him, and also it shows how good Emery is as a coach.

Villa are enjoying an amazing season and hopefully there’ll be more to come in the next five months and beyond.