As Juventus joined Bayern Munich in dropping points away to Aston Villa in the Champions League, Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against the Serie A giants represented another fine night in the dugout for Unai Emery.
But while Aston Villa’s mightily impressive return to European competition has largely been put down to Unai Emery’s outstanding tactical nous – Steven Gerrard had fans fearing relegation when the Spaniard arrived back in 2022 – credit must also go to those operating behind the scenes.
Those who helped construct the team Emery now has going toe-to-toe with Juventus and defeating Bayern Munich.
Morgan Rogers arrived for an initial £8 million from Middlesbrough less than a year ago. Rogers was outstanding in that Bayern Munich triumph.
Jhon Duran lobbed Manuel Neuer to secure Aston Villa a famous win on that glorious night in October, meanwhile, and he set the club back a cool £18 million.
Pau Torres, Ollie Watkins, and Lucas Digne and Emi Martinez – the goalkeeper’s ‘incredible’ save denied Juventus a winner in midweek – have all come to represent outstanding value for money. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans arrived at Villa Park on free transfers.
Aston Villa’s recruitment department, then, deserve an almighty pat on the back. But it hasn’t always been this way.
Wesley Moraes Ferreira of Fatih Karagumruk in action against Osman Celik of MKE Ankaragucu during the Turkish Football Federation 1st League footba...
Photo by Agit Erdi Ulukaya/Anadolu via Getty Images
Wesley Moraes once cost Aston Villa a club-record £22 million
Following their promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, Aston Villa invested – some may say ‘wasted’ – around £60 million combined on Morgan Sanson, Mbwana Samatta, Bjorn Engels, Marvelous Nakamba and Wesley Moraes.
None of that quintet are Villa players these days.
Including Wesley – who joined second-tier Stoke City on a free transfer four years after becoming Aston Villa’s £22 million record signing – the ill-fated five would earn back the Midland giants just £16 million.
Though the sorry tale of Wesley’s time in English football is not simply one of an overpriced footballer falling well short of expectations due to a lack of talent. The one-time Brazil international missed a combined 57 games through injury in 2020 and 2021, with an ACL rupture keeping him out for over a year.
Then, short lived spells at Club Brugge, Internacional, Levante and then Stoke – he left The Potters after his one-year deal expired over the summer – did little to aid a footballer crying out for a place he could call home.
But, nearly five years after he scored his sixth and last Aston Villa goal, is Wesley’s luck finally turning?
Wesley cannot stop scoring in Turkey for Fatih Karagumruk
As then-Stoke boss Alex Neil said following his arrival in Staffordshire in 2023, his talent was never in doubt. ‘Wesley [has] obviously been a really good player [but] suffered a really bad injury. You don’t get bought for £22 million if you’re not a good player.’
Or play for Brazil, for that matter.
Stoke would not see the best of Wesley. But, the latest well-travelled centre-forward to be a man rejuvenated by Turkish football, Fatih Karagumruk have the 2018 Belgian League Young Player of the Year performing like a striker worthy of such an eye-watering price-tag once again.
Finding the net against Erzurumspor last weekend, Wesley now has 11 goals in 13 games for Fatih Karagumruk, albeit in Turkey’s second tier. Add assists into the mix, and Wesley is averaging more than one ‘goal contribution’ every time he takes to the pitch.
With Bafetimbi Gomis, Fabio Borini, Paul Onuachu and co all having put tough times behind them in recent years in the furthest reaches of Europe, clearly hairlines are not the only thing making a recovery on Turkish soil.
Wesley celebrated his 28th birthday this week. Who is to say that, if those injury issues stay in the past, he cannot grace a top-flight league in European football once again?
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