Wesley managed just five Premier League goals in 2019/20 season. (Getty Images)
According to claims from Turkish outlet Tribun Dergi, as cited by the Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa centre-forward Wesley Moraes has emerged as a transfer target for Italian club Lazio. As per the report, the Serie A outfit have identified Wesley as a first-choice striker option and are prepared to offer Villa a fee of £13million to secure the services of the Brazilian.
Those claims have been corroborated by Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (h/t Birmingham Mail), who report that Wesley is top of Lazio’s wishlist, having missed the chance to sign the 23-year-old from Club Brugge last summer.
It has also been reported that Aston Villa’s interest in Liverpool striker Divock Origi has promoted Lazio to reignite their interest in Wesley.
Having racked up 38 goals in 130 appearances for Club Brugge with two Belgian top-flight titles under his belt, Wesley completed a move to Aston Villa for a club-record fee of £22million last summer.
The expectations were sky-high when the 23-year-old came through the door at Villa Park as a key part of the club’s massive spending spree following their promotion to the Premier League.
Manager Dean Smith used him as a regular starter right from the very beginning and while Wesley showed flashes of his brilliance in victories over Everton and Norwich City, the Brazilian struggled to find the net on a consistent basis.
The striker’s debut season in the English top-flight was cut short by a cruciate ligament injury against Burnley on New Year’s Day, with Wesley finishing the 2019-20 PL campaign with a lacklustre tally of 5 goals in 21 appearances.
Considering his heft price tag, Wesley Moraes only flattered to deceive at times before a horrible injury spelt a premature end to his breakthrough campaign in England. The 23-year-old’s injury midway through the previous season left Villa with a massive void to fill, with Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston arriving as replacements.
As per the report, Lazio are prepared to offer Villa only £13million for the Brazilian due to his long-term injury, which would mean a big financial hit for the Midlands club considering that they spent £22m to sign him just 12 months back.
With that in mind, Villa aren’t under any financial pressure to cut their losses on Wesley, especially after preserving their status as a Premier League club. The Brazilian still has several years remaining on his contract at Villa Park that runs until 2024, and given that he’s only 23, Villa have ample time to make a final decision on the striker’s future.
Injuries have always been a part and parcel of the game and parting ways with Wesley after just a single season, especially after spending a club-record amount to sign him, would simply represent a short-sighted approach from the Villans.
Aston Villa need to add more firepower to their attack after scoring just 41 league goals last season and offloading Wesley Moraes, who remains a promising young striker capable of delivering the goods in the Premier League, could be a big mistake.
The Brazilian still has plenty of time on his side to come back from his injury and improve on his goalscoring return to evolve into a key player for the club.