Leon Bailey to Olympiacos
Verdict Delivered
This deal HAPPENED. Leon Bailey completed the move, which we were tracking at 98% when it went through.
| Move | Villa → Olympiacos |
| Outcome | Completed |
| Rated at the end | 98% |
| Resolved | September 3rd |
Bailey has completed his medical, taken in London rather than Athens, and the move is in its final procedural stages with an announcement from Olympiacos expected (Novasports, Vasilis Konstantopoulos, September 2nd). Fabrizio Romano reported the verbal agreement earlier the same day: a permanent transfer from Villa on a contract to June 2029, with Villa giving the green light to proceed. Novasports notes the final shape of the deal has not been confirmed from the Greek side, earlier English reporting having described a loan following a contract extension, Bailey's existing Villa deal running to the summer of 2027, against the later English reports it cites describing a permanent move to 2029. He has not played since withdrawing after 23 minutes of the friendly at Porto on July 25th.
Related
How the Story Moved
| Date | What changed | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2nd | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 95% (medical) — source: Fabrizio Romano; Matt Maher (Express & Star). Olympiacos have reached a verbal agreement to sign Bailey permanently and he was travelling to Athens for a medical on September 2nd, Fabrizio Romano reported at 13:38 UTC, with Villa having given the green light and a contract to run until June 2029. Matt Maher wrote in the Express & Star an hour later that negotiations over the sale are underway and that Bailey, surplus to requirements, has been training alone at Bodymoor Heath since the collapse of his move to Hull City. No fee has been reported by either club. The Greek window stays open for another fortnight, so Villa can still sell even though the English deadline has passed. Bailey joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £25m in 2021, made 123 Premier League appearances, 51 of them off the bench, and spent the first half of last season on loan at Roma. He has not played competitively since May. |
| September 2nd | Moved | Likelihood rose from 95% to 98% (final). Bailey has completed his medical, taken in London rather than Athens, and the move is in its final procedural stages with an announcement from Olympiacos expected (Novasports, Vasilis Konstantopoulos, September 2nd). Fabrizio Romano reported the verbal agreement earlier the same day: a permanent transfer from Villa on a contract to June 2029, with Villa giving the green light to proceed. Novasports notes the final shape of the deal has not been confirmed from the Greek side, earlier English reporting having described a loan following a contract extension, Bailey's existing Villa deal running to the summer of 2027, against the later English reports it cites describing a permanent move to 2029. He has not played since withdrawing after 23 minutes of the friendly at Porto on July 25th. |
| September 3rd | Verdict | Deal DONE — completed after being tracked at 98% |
Timeline since the rumor joined the board.