Wesley Moraes looks set to leave Premier League outfit Aston Villa again in the January transfer window with ESPN reporting that a loan move to Sao Paulo has been agreed.
They say you should never go back.
And, during an ill-fated loan spell back in Belgium with Jupiler League giants Club Brugge, Wesley has found out first-hand that returning to familiar surroundings is not always for the best.
The Brazil international scored a career-best 17 goals during his final season at Club Brugge in 2018/19. An outstanding campaign paved the way for a £22 million move to Villa Park.
Since returning to the Jan Breydel Stadium on loan last summer, however, Wesley has failed the find the net in seven appearances. In fact, his most recent goal came two years ago, during a fateful New Years’ Day trip to Burnley.
Wesley would suffer a horrific ACL injury on January 1 in Lancashire. An injury which kept him out of action for 15 long months.
Will Wesley ever play for Aston Villa again?
It remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old has a future at Villa Park. The departure of Dean Smith, the manager who brought him to Birmingham in the first-place, has complicated matters.
Furthermore, the arrivals of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have pushed Wesley further down the pecking order. And that’s without mentioning the sudden emergence of Cameron Archer.
According to ESPN, Wesley has now reached an agreement with Sao Paulo, one that will see the striker return to Brazil on loan until December 2022. Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras are keen too.
But Sao Paulo head coach Rogerio Ceni – yes, the goal-scoring goal-keeper – has played a key role in luring Wesley to the Estadio do Morumbi instead.
Belgian publication Het Laaste Nieuws, meanwhile, claim that Club Brugge will not stand in Wesley’s way.
Aston Villa may need to contribute a sizeable portion of his £35,000-a-week wages wherever Wesley ends up.
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