Hyderabad FC sign former Odisha FC star Aridane Santana

The Spanish forward was the top scorer at Odisha FC last season with nine goals.

Indian Super League outfit Hyderabad FC have roped in Spanish ace Aridane Santana ahead of the upcoming season. The club officially announced the signing of the player on Thursday.

"Aridane will be an important player for us in the season. He is the typical striker – strong, a good header of the ball, holds up possession, someone with a good shot, and a hard worker. He has shown all these things last season at Odisha and we’ve all seen how important he was for them. The good thing is that he knows Indian football and the ISL, so settling in won’t be a hassle. His experience in Thailand will also help us, with the League set to take place in Goa, and we’re very excited to have him,” said Hyderabad FC head coach Manolo Marquez.

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The forward was previously associated with Odisha FC in the 2019-20 campaign. Santana had a rocking start to the term with the Juggernauts, as he quickly found his scoring boots in India. In just 14 games for the club, he registered an impressive nine goals and two assists in the league. However, the Spaniard's season was cut short, as he suffered an injury at a crucial juncture. Yet, that didn't deny him from getting the title of Odisha FC's top scorer, despite an impressive late effort put in by his replacement Manuel Onwu, who scored seven goals in just four games.

Odisha FC had recently announced the parting of ways with the striker, along with four other key foreigners including Marcos Tebar and Xisco Hernandez. The Juggernauts have been highly active in the transfer market, having brought in a horde of domestic youngsters as well as other key foreigners.

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Meanwhile, Aridane Santana comes with valuable experience from Spanish divisions and would be a welcome addition at Hyderabad FC. The Nizams have already brought in Australian forward Joel Chianese, apart from Spaniard Lluis Sastre and Brazilian midfielder Joao Victor, both midfielders, to bolster their squad. Under new coach Manolo Marquez, the team will hope to make an impact in the competition, especially after a forgettable debut season.

"My primary goal is to get to the best conditions personally for the start of the season, and then help the team with a lot of hard work on the field. It’s going to be a challenging season, and if I can help the team through goals, nothing like it," said the Spaniard.