Aston Villa Officially Confirm Signing of Club Brugge's Wesley Moraes for Club Record Fee

Aston Villa have officially announced the signing of Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge, subject to a work permit and international clearance.

The Brazilian striker has been on the radar of a number of clubs across Europe after his displays for the Belgian outfit during the 2018/19 season, when he was able to register an impressive 17 goals and ten assists in all competitions - including two strikes in the Champions League.

​Aston Villa have now confirmed they have struck a deal with Club Brugge to complete the signing in an announcement on their​ website.

Though Villa have not disclosed the transfer fee, 90min sources ​previously confirmed initial reports from Belgium's HLN that Aston Villa have now broken their transfer record to bring him over to Villa Park.

The £22.5m fee, which could potentially rise further, eclipses the club's previous transfer record, which saw Darren Bent join from Sunderland for an initial £18m in 2011.

Club Brugge also released a ​statement to confirm the news which reads: "Wesley Moraes is on his way to Aston Villa FC. Both clubs reached an agreement on this today. After obtaining a work permit and passing his medical tests, Moraes will sign a contract with the English Premier League club."

Belgian journalist ​Kristof Terreur has shed light on Wesley's work permit situation, claiming that he did not initially qualify for a UK work permit but his prior experience in the Champions League, coupled with his high transfer fee, would mean that the Exceptions Panel would see fit to provide him with one.