Fullback, Reinildo Mandava has joined Sunderland on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid.
Mandava left Atletico Madrid upon expiry of his contract after three-and-a-half years at the La Liga club, in which he scored two goals in 103 appearances following his move from Lille in January 2022.
The 31-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Black Cats until June 2027 in a move which he is excited about following Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League.
“It is a dream come true because it has always been my ambition to play in the Premier League – and I can’t wait to play for an historic club like Sunderland. I’m excited to meet the team, to fight, and to give everything for the Club.
“I want to help, to give power to my team-mates, and transmit my experience in the dressing room. Above all else, I want to make people happy and I will give everything to make that happen.
Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman added: “”We’ve had to be patient to finalise this transfer due to his involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, but we’re delighted to welcome Reinildo to Wearside.
“We feel he’s an ideal profile for our full-back position and his experience is a perfect fit for our squad composition. He’s shown a real desire to join our Club throughout our discussions, and to be the first Mozambican to play in the Premier League.
“He’s highly motivated by this challenge and he has a personality I’m sure our supporters will connect with, so we are looking forward to welcoming him to Sunderland later this month.”
Mandava began his career at Ferroviario da Beira then GD Maputo before he joined Benfica’s B-Team in December 2015, but he failed to graduate into the senior squad amidst loans at Fafe and Sporting Covilha before he moved to Belenenses SAD where he scored one goal in 19 appearances.
January 2019 saw the now 31-year-old join Lille on an initial loan deal which became permanent that summer as he went on to net one goal in 87 appearances for the Ligue 1 club prior to his move to Atletico.
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