Craig Butler has confirmed he urged Aston Villa to sell Leon Bailey to Ajax this summer. But the Jamaican’s agent settled on the winger staying put after speaking with Steven Gerrard.
Bailey only moved to Villa Park from Bayer Leverkusen last August in a £25m transfer. Yet a number of injuries and a change in manager saw the forward struggle to establish a role at the club. Dean Smith led the Birmingham side’s bid to sign the 25-year-old whilst in charge.
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A hamstring injury, another muscular issue, a thigh injury and an ankle issue ruined his first season in England. Bailey only managed to feature in 18 Premier League matches last term and opened just seven. He also scored his only goal and two assists before Smith was fired.
This season has already seen Bailey score once and lay on one assist during eight top-flight games. He has also opened the action six times, eclipsing the 17-cap dynamo’s five starts under Gerrard last term. His 491 minutes also edge his 463 from 12 games under Gerrard.
Yet after Manchester United signed Antony for an initial £81.5m, rising to £86m, in August, Ajax took a look at buying Bailey off Aston Villa as his replacement. The Daily Mail reported the Eredivisie outfit turned their attention to him as an alternative target to Hakim Ziyech.
In the end, though, Ajax agreed a deal with Sevilla to loan Lucas Ocampos for the 2022/23 season. Marca reported the move cost the Dutch giants €4m (£3.5m) while gaining a €16m (£14m) option to buy. The Argentine has mostly been a reserve player in Amsterdam so far.
Leon Bailey’s agent ‘advocated strongly’ for Aston Villa to sell the winger to Ajax
Although before Ajax signed Ocampos from Sevilla, Butler told Aston Villa to let him secure a deal for Bailey to move to the Netherlands. Yet after discussions with Gerrard, the agent was comfortable with his client staying in Birmingham and kicking off his stronger season.
“I advocated strongly that if they don’t want him and they are not going to use wingers, they are to let me move him to Ajax this semester,” Butler told the Jamaica Gleaner. “But we worked it out and he got to play.”
Butler was concerned over what future Bailey had at Aston Villa after the club fired Smith and Gerrard rarely put his trust in the forward. The Liverpool legend rarely using wingers put the frighteners on the agent. But this season is already showing his greater appreciation.
“The coach that is at Aston Villa now was not the coach that recruited Leon,” Butler added. “That coach played wingers, he loved Leon and wanted him in.
“The new coach, Gerrard, does not really play wingers but he is getting to understand the importance of the player. It’s very important that the manager likes you, wants you in his system and wants that position in his system.”
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