£30m Aston Villa ace admits he was ‘close’ to joining one of Emery’s opponents

Leon Bailey is a professional football player who currently plays for Aston Villa in the English Premier League. He was born in Jamaica and began his career with West Ham United before moving to Leicester City in 2017. In 2019, he joined KRC Genk in Belgium, where he had a successful spell and helped the team win the Belgian Pro League title.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Bailey revealed that he was close to joining Ajax before deciding to sign for KRC Genk. He said: "I spoke to Ajax and they were interested, but I felt like I needed to go somewhere where I could play more minutes and develop my game. That's why I decided to go to Genk."

Bailey went on to explain that he had always been a fan of Ajax and was excited about the opportunity to play against them in the Europa Conference League. He said: "It's going to be a great experience for me, playing against one of my idols. I'm looking forward to it."

Bailey has been an important player for Aston Villa this season, making 31 appearances and scoring three goals in all competitions. He is highly regarded by his teammates and manager, who have praised his talent and work ethic.