Top flight club, Estrela da Amadora SAD forward Ronald Pereira Martins is close to agreeing terms on a million pound plus deal to join the Swans on a permanent transfer. The twenty two year old Corumbá born player has played his part this season. However, the Swans would have found this transfer present them with a few difficulties.
Ronald is Brazilian and is contracted to Fabio Mello and his originating club GE Anápolis. He has made sixteen starts in the Liga Portugal Betclic this season scoring one goal and two assists. Having spent a number of loans at clubs in Brazil over three years he now has spent some with eighteen months in Portugal, on loan from GE. Some will recall the variety of issues that surface with some South American players, who owns him, part owns, or who is accredited as owning him. That seems now to have been cleared up allowing the player to complete formalities to come to south Wales.
The player is strong and quick, something the Swans are desperate for in the Championship this season. His value is in his attacking threat from both wings and he can play attacking midfield. We’ve had a chat this afternoon with a big supporter of the club and have been told the Swans due diligence needs to satisfy ‘very clearly’ the hands that may be all over his contract. As we’ve seen with numerous other transfers any extra payments to others needs massively squaring off.
Of course the swans are experienced in business, and hopefully that experience stretches to the vagrancies of South American player ownership. This is a brave swoop from Swansea City, a young and much travelled player (club wise) already you would hope that Sporting Director, Paul Watson has covered all his scouting bases, and sees Ronald as someone who can add real value to the first team. We have also heard over the past few days that Swans Chairman, Andrew Coleman is assessing all the stats on players of interest - and this transfer comes from that analysis.
Fingers crossed he and Watson are on the same page.
A little bit of extra work on the Indy today to bring you value and context to the news affecting the Swans.