Leon Bailey was ‘very close’ to joining Dutch giants Ajax before the winger made that £30 million move to Premier League outfit Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.
That is according to Craig Butler, agent and step-father to one of the most in-form forwards in English football.
Leon Bailey took the less-travelled route to the pinnacle of the game, spending time in Austria and Slovakia before making his name in Belgium with Genk back in 2015. Had things worked out differently, however, the Jamaica international would have brought his twinkle-toed talents to Ajax instead, Aston Villa’s £30 million signing coming ‘very close’ to joining a side who boasted such luminaries as Andre Onana, Joel Veltman and Arek Milik at the time.
Aston Villa ace nearly joined Ajax
“Bailey was indeed in the picture at Ajax,” Butler recalls, speaking to Voetbal International. “But also at Genk, to whom I eventually sold him. Ajax did want him, but not according to the agreements that were in place.
“We were always very close, but the final push from Ajax was missing. If Leon had signed with Ajax, he would probably have been sold for a lot more money. But money isn’t everything.”
Bailey joined Bayer Leverkusen – currently ten points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga under Xabi Alonso – for around £17 million after two seasons in Belgium. Leverkusen themselves made a sizeable profit when Bailey moved on again four years later.
And, after an injury-hit start to life in England, the 26-year-old is more than making up for lost time under Unai Emery. Bailey has 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this term, scoring a brilliant winner against Manchester City in December.
Leon Bailey in the form of his life
Butler, however, is refusing to rule out the prospect of Bailey finally donning Ajax’s iconic red and white shirt at some point in the future.
“Of course, Ajax remains a club that we have a lot of respect for. The contact is still there,” Butler adds. “I regularly speak with (technical director) Kelvin de Lang.
“We still love Ajax very much; The people, the faith, the ambitions, the appearance.”
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