
News
Dean Smith says next month is crucial for Wesley’s Aston Villa future
Dean Smith believes that Wesley’s progression over the next month will give the Aston Villa manager a clear indicator of what the future has in store for the Brazilian attacker.
, the Villa boss said that the 23-year-old striker is begging to look like a Premier League player again after nearly 16 months on the injury table after sustaining a serious knee injury, and that next month, when the season ends, will give Smith a good indication as to where the forward will be for next season.

Wesley joined Villa from Club Brugge in 2019 for a reported transfer fee of £22m , making 21 appearances in the Premier League last season and scoring five goals before severely injuring his cruciate knee ligament on New Year’s Day 2020, with the Brazilian returning to first-team football against West Brom in late April.
Despite Ollie Watkins starring for Villa up-front this season, Smith sounded confident that the attacker will be back in the first-team soon, with the Villains manager saying: “We’re starting to look at Wesley as a Premier League player again, rather than a player returning from injury. The next month will give us a big sign as to where he will be for the start of next season. That’s going to be the key to moving forward.”

TBR View: Wesley return could aid in Villa attacking evolution
A striker is seemingly on the agenda for Villa this summer, with rumours circulating of Tammy Abraham being on Smith’s radar heading into the transfer window, yet the return of Wesley could make this move completely redundant, and with Watkins in fine form this season, the Brazilian international could aid in the next evolutionary step for the club’s attack.
With Watkins having experience playing out on the right, Wesley, and the former Brentford star, could form an exciting attacking proposition for Villa next season, and if the likes of Jack Grealish and Anwar El Ghazi remain at Villa Park, Smith’s side could be a force to be reckoned with in 2021/22.