Aston Villa are heading for a major transfer mistake as news emerges from Bodymoor Heath about Wesley’s future at the club.
What’s the story?
The Brazilian has been out of action for the majority of the season following a knee injury suffered in early 2020, and has only just returned to first team action in the Premier League, with Dean Smith understandably taking a cautious approach with him.
What should Villa do with Wesley?
Keep
Loan
Sell
Football Insider have now claimed that ‘Villa have moved on since Wesley was the first choice spearhead in the team’, with a club source revealing that ‘the plan is to loan him out next season and recruit a new striker’.
Dean Smith making a big mistake
While bringing in a new striker is all well and good, and completely understandable – the burden on Ollie Watkins this season has been huge in his debut campaign at Villa Park – it seems a misguided stance to let Wesley go even on a temporary basis this summer.
The Brazilian has only just made his way back to the first team after so many months out injured, and he is someone who could surely benefit from some pre-season work with Smith before trying to make a claim for a regular starting berth next season.
Standing at 6 foot 3, and with a real aerial presence, he offers something completely different to the hard running and movement of Watkins, and gives Villa a different dimension either to come off the bench or even to start when Smith wants to rest his main striker.
Sending Keinan Davis out on loan instead, and keeping Wesley at Villa Park to get back to full fitness alongside Watkins and another centre-forward, would surely be the best way to go about things as the club look to mount another impressive campaign next year.
Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this starlet…