Eder: Left Sporting Braga to join Swansea

Swansea have completed the transfer of Sporting Braga striker Eder on a three-year deal after he passed a medical at the Liberty Stadium.

The 27-year-old Portugal forward, whose full name is Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, scored 10 goals for Braga helping them to finish fourth in the Primeira Liga last season, including a goal in their domestic cup final defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

He was born in the West African country Guinea-Bissau but moved to Portugal as a child and has been capped 18 times by his country, including all three games at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil before they went out at the group stage.

Eder is the type of striker we’ve been looking for. He’s young, hungry and eager to prove himself in the Premier League. Garry Monk

Eder began his senior career in the Portuguese lower leagues with Oliveira Hospital and Tourizense before joining Académica Coimbra in 2008, with whom he won the club’s first Portuguese cup for 73 years.

His performances caught the attention of a number of European clubs, but he opted to join fellow Primeira Liga side Braga in 2012 and he leaves having scored 38 goals in 143 games in the Portuguese top flight.

He scored his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Italy last week and joins Swansea in what is understood to be a £5m deal.

Manager Garry Monk is expected to play Eder alongside Bafetimbi Gomis as the twin spearheads to the Swans attack, supported by another summer signing, Ghana's attacking midfielder Andre Ayew.

Monk has been seeking a permanent new frontman since prolific Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Bony left the Liberty Stadium to join Manchester City for £25m in January and after Nelson Oliveira's loan expired in south Wales.

Eder, who will wear squad number 17 for the 2015-16 campaign, becomes the club's fourth signing of the summer following Ayew, Franck Tabanou and Kristoffer Nordfeldt to the Liberty.

Challenge

Eder said: "I am very happy to have signed with Swansea. It’s a big club and I believe I can progress as a footballer here.

“The Premier League will be a step up for me, but I’ve played in the European competitions and also for my country so I’ve experienced different levels of the game.

“Hopefully my team-mates will help me develop and settle in quickly at the club. I can’t wait to meet all of them when I report for pre-season training.

“Swansea are a solid club who have big ambitions - last season confirmed that - and it’s great for me to be a part of it.”

Monk added: "Eder is the type of striker we’ve been looking for. He has excellent attributes; strong, quick and technically sound with the ball.

“He has a good pedigree and is a full international with Portugal. He fits our profile in terms of the players we’ve signed in the last two seasons because he’s young, hungry and eager to prove himself in the Premier League.

“He has the characteristics we are looking for and will certainly add competition to the striking department.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him work alongside the likes of Bafe (Gomis) and Marvin (Emnes). And the fact that we’ve got him in early is a bonus.”