BREAKING NEWS: Aston Villa confirm striker transfer with surprise destination

The latest Aston Villa transfer news as the striker has joined Championship side Stoke City in a permanent move away from Villa Park

Aston Villa have confirmed that striker Wesley has completed a permanent move to Championship side Stoke City, bringing to an end his five-year stay at the club.

The Brazilian forward joined Villa from Club Brugge in 2019, before rejoining his former club on loan two years later. He spent all of last season on a temporary deal with Spanish side Levante

Wesley has now put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal with Stoke, ending his time at Villa Park, which was disrupted by a serious knee injury in January 2020. The Problem kept the striker out of action for over a year.

READ MORE: Aston Villa welcome player back to training as pre-season preparations continue

He made a total of 26 appearances for Villa during his time at the club, scoring six goals and providing a further assist. He had been linked with a move to Watford, but it seems that Stoke have stolen a march on their Championship rivals.

Reacting to his move to the Bet365 Stadium, Wesley is relishing the opportunity to return to English football and show what he can do. “I had a very positive six months in the Premier League with Aston Villa before my injury and I now see this move to Stoke City as a great opportunity for me to show my best football in England,” he told Stoke’s official website.

“Last season, I played a lot for Levante in Spain, which was great for me to get back to 100% so I am now ready to go here at Stoke City.

I spoke to my representatives about the fresh project here at Stoke and we collectively decided this is the best place for me to join.”

The new away shirt is a unique design that showcases the lions that have represented Aston Villa throughout its existence. The away shirt is a visual timeline print that tells the story of the club’s proud journey since its foundation in 1874 and features a redesigned crest which pays homage to the European Cup-winning heroes of 1982.

Villa have shown their intent ahead of the new season with the big-money signing of Pau Torres, and the canny free signing of Youri Tielemans.

There’s also the small matter of a European campaign as Villa prepare to battle with other teams from abroad.

The aim is simple, to finish the highest they have done for some time in the Premier League, and to compete for trophies.

There are exciting visions on and off the field at Villa and this season is the perfect time to realise some of the club’s ambitions.

Join us as we look ahead to an exciting season for Aston Villa with a special edition preview paper.

They are all 48 pages and cost £3, on sale for advance order on the online shop NOW and in retail outlets from July 26.