Signed from Brentford two years ago for just under £6m, Jota Peleteiro will remain in Birmingham next season, it just won’t be with Birmingham City.
The 28-year-old agreed to move to local rivals Aston Villa following an agreement between the two clubs, and the transfer was announced on June 5th.
Jota put pen to paper to a two-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League side, where he will strive to help the Villains remain in England’s top-tier during the 2019-20 campaign.
Speaking to La Voz de Asturias in his home country, the Spaniard explained how the transfer came about, fully aware of the implications of swapping St Andrew’s for Villa Park.
He said: “Aston Villa got in touch with me, their director of football called me. Then Dean Smith, who managed me at Brentford, to let me know he wanted to work together again. Everything was really quick compared to normal. It was all done in a week.
“For Birmingham, it’s a cash injection (the transfer is around €5m) and they get rid of one of their biggest wages. They were conditioned a lot by their FFP sanction. Everyone has benefitted.”
Jota admitted he was aware ‘not everyone’ will have been happy with the transfer and is prepared to face potential booing on the streets of Birmingham, but he isn’t worried about it.
“It’s a very big rivalry. I guess there will be many who do not like it. Some will boo in the street, I’ll have to accept it. Our work is like that and we have to live with it as best we can. I do not worry, honestly. I do not like to choose the easy steps to be in a comfort situation. I look out for myself and I try to make the decisions that excite me and I think they benefit me.”
Always look out for number one and all that.
