Aston Villa paid £22m to sign Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge but will the Brazilian thrive in the Premier League?
Tony Cascarino believes £22 million striker Wesley Moraes could take the Premier League by storm next season in the claret and blue of Aston Villa, while speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (30 July, 9:00am).
The Premier League newcomers have spent over £100 million as part of a remarkable summer overhaul but only one of their new signings has cost more than the former Club Brugge striker Wesley.
The Brazilian became Aston Villa’s most expensive player when he arrived in June for £22 million, as reported by Sky Sports, a record that was broken just weeks later when Tyrone Mings was snapped up on a permanent deal.
And Cascarino, himself a former Villa striker, believes Wesley’s rapid pace will leave plenty of top flight defenders quaking in their boots next season.
“They’ve gone big on Wesley. He’s lightning quick, he’ll be as quick as any player in the Premier League next season. He will hurt teams,” said the 88-time Republic of Ireland international.
“The lad Wesley, I hope, will be one of the signings of the season.”
Wesley won two Jupiler League titles with Brugge and scored 14 goals in all competitions last season.
On first viewing, he appears to have the physicist and speed to adapt to life in the hustle and bustle of English football with the 22-year-old drawing immediate comparisons to former Villa targetman Christian Benteke.
A two-goal showing in a 5-1 pre-season thrashing of Walsall certainly gave Villa fans a tantalising glimpse of his potential.
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