Aston Villa striker Wesley, who is currently on loan at Club Brugge, is reportedly set to join Brazilian giants Sao Paulo FC with talks in advanced stages.
According to a report from ESPN, Brazilian giants Sao Paulo FC are in advanced talks to secure the signing of Aston Villa striker Wesley Moraes in the upcoming January transfer window.
Wesley started his career in Brazil with Itabuna before making his way to Europe by joining Slovakian outfit AS Trencin in the summer of 2015. Six months later, he signed for Club Brugge and enjoyed a solid three-year stint in Belgium before Aston Villa came calling for him the summer of 2019.
The Villans signed the centre-forward in a club-record deal worth £22 million. Wesley made a decent start to life in England, but a cruciate ligament rupture midway through his debut season meant that he was sidelined for more than a year, only returning to action late last season. In all, he has made 26 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring six goals and assisting one more.
This past summer saw Wesley return to Brugge on a season-long loan deal, even as Aston Villa brought in Danny Ings to support and cover for Ollie Watkins in the centre-forward role. However, the 25-year-old has not had the best of times upon returning to his former club, failing to score or assist a single goal in his six appearances thus far.
And, it seems like Villa are set to cut short his loan spell in Belgium and move him on permanently, with Wesley in demand back in his homeland, Brazil. Indeed, clubs like Palmeiras, Internacional have all had their eyes on the one-time capped Brazilian international.
But it is Sao Paulo who are best positioned to sign him, as per the report. It is believed that the Tricolor Paulista are already in advanced negotiations to sign the 25-year-old Wesley from Aston Villa, although nothing is set in stone as of yet.
Considering that he has not performed up to the mark in Belgium, the Villans are unlikely to have any qualms about the potential sale. They are believed to be looking to bring in a new centre-forward in January, with links to Wesley’s compatriot Gabriel Barbosa doing the rounds.