Aston Villa have announced the signing of Brazilian striker Wesley Moraes from Club Bruges for what is understood to be a club record fee of £22m.
Villa confirmed on Thursday that they have reached agreement with the Belgium side subject to a work permit and international clearance. The 22-year-old’s fee eclipses the £18m Villa paid to sign Darren Bent from Sunderland in 2011.
Moraes, who scored 17 goals last season, also won the prestigious Golden Schoen – the award given to the best young player of the year in the Belgian Pro League.
Meanwhile, Ralph Hasenhüttl has made the Standard Liège winger Moussa Djenepo his first signing at Southampton for a fee of £14m. The manager, who joined the club last December, has been keen to bolster his attacking options after a season in which his team scored only 45 Premier League goals.
Djenepo, 20, who has eight caps for Mali and will play for them at the Africa Cup of Nations which begins in Egypt next Friday, has earned his move after a breakout season at Liège. He scored 11 goals for them as they finished third in the Belgian top division and qualified for the Europa League.
Djenepo joined Liege in 2017 for €50,000 from Yeelen Olimpique in Mali and he has agreed a four-year contract at Southampton. He will begin his pre-season after the Cup of Nations. Hasenhüttl says he was interested in Djenepo last January and described the player as having “tremendous pace and good finishing abilities”.
Djenepo said: “It’s a dream come true. Southampton is a good club that is progressing, it has great facilities and it’s a place that can help me to really kick on. I am looking forward to it and I want to get to know my new family.”