'Medical passed' amid shock Tottenham Hotspur enquiry for £32m Aston Villa star
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Tottenham lodged an official enquiry to sign Leon Bailey from Aston Villa on Sunday evening, testing the waters ahead of a possible deadline day swoop.
Spurs are weighing up their options as they seek to add depth in quality in wide areas. Birmingham World understands Villa are reluctant to sell Bailey permanently but are open to the idea of a loan departure, following the arrival of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United and the imminent signing of Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain.
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Hide AdFabrizio Romano has reported Tottenham have formally initiated talks with Villa for Bailey, asking to be informed of the requirements of a possible deal. Man Utd are thought to be keen, too, as they spoke to Villa about Bailey during the Villans 2-0 defeat away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
During a YouTube video update, Romano said: “Man Utd made contact but at the moment Villa are still not able to sign Joao Felix as Chelsea are not open. Villa must decide what to do with Bailey; Man Utd and Tottenham, both clubs called to be informed but it depends on Villa, there are no open doors but we will see on deadline day.”
Bailey has been very hot and cold for Villa under Emery, at times looking every penny of his €38 million (£31.6m) market value and then otherwise flattering to deceive. The 32-time Jamaica international has scored just one goal in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, also notching three assists.
Last campaign was far more successful as Bailey contributed an impressive 10 goals and nine assists in 35 Premier League games. The 27-year-old added a further two gaols and four assists in 11 Europa Conference League matches, too, establishing himself as one of Emery’s key players in a host of competitions.
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Meanwhile, Villa are on the verge of signing Asensio on loan from PSG with a medical already passed. The 29-year-old will be with Emery’s side until June, though that spell could potentially be extended in the summer. Birmingham World was alerted during the Wolves clash that talks were progressing nicely for Asensio.
The Athletic then revealed late on Saturday evening that a full agreement has been reached between Villa and PSG for Asensio to sign on for the remainder of the 2024/25 season. The Villans will cover the Spaniard’s full salary for the next six months as part of a wider financial package.
Unlike Rashford, Asensio isn’t joining with the view to a permanent transfer in the summer. The 29-year-old instead arrives on a straight loan to try and help Villa achieve their ambitions of finishing in the Premier League top four and progressing far in the UEFA Champions League.
Asensio, 38 times a full Spain international, has scored seven goals and made 11 assists in 47 matches for PSG since arriving in July 2023. Before that, the attacking midfielder racked up an impressive 61 goals and 32 assists in 286 appearances for Real Madrid. Asensio also won three Champions League titles during his eight years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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