Aston Villa have confirmed that Wesley has joined Stoke City on a permanent transfer, ending a four-year stint with us.
Villa signed the 26-year-old from Club Brugge in July 2019, but he went on to make just 26 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and providing one assist, with a serious, long-term injury derailing his spell in England.
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Wesley went on to re-join Club Brugge on loan, as well as having temporary stints with Internacional and Levante, and with Villa continuing to move in a different direction during that period, it was always unlikely that he would return and have a role to play.
As per the club’s statement, the Brazilian forward has joined Stoke on a permanent basis, with the Championship outfit confirming that he has put pen to paper on a one-year deal.
It’s hoped that the move works out for Wesley as having gone through a horrific injury and the subsequent rehabilitation and issues he had with his comeback, he’ll be desperate for a chance to stay fit and prove himself in England.
From a Villa perspective, we’ve done well to move him on permanently rather than another loan, and that ultimately is the best outcome for all concerned at this stage, as it allows us to move him off the books, while he gets a chance to settle and secure a prominent role elsewhere.
Unai Emery will likely have assessed the option of having Wesley at his disposal having arrived at Villa last November, as he would have done with every single player in the senior squad, whether they were available to him last season or out on loan.
However, he’s made the decision that we’re happy to move on without the Brazilian, with Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran and Cameron Archer expected to lead our attack in the upcoming campaign, while they’re now supported by quality options in the final third too.
With further signings still possible this summer, we’ll see how we continue to evolve and improve the squad, and hopefully Wesley can enjoy a successful stint at Stoke now too.