Benfica striker Nelson Oliveira to join Swansea on loan

Nelson Oliveira

London, Dec 24 (IANS) English Premier League club Swansea City have agreed to sign Nelson Oliveira from Benfica on loan until the end of the season, according to the official website of the English Premier League.

Oliveira, a forward with 14 caps for Portugal, will join Swansea when the transfer window opens Jan 3, reports Xinhua.

The 23-year-old striker, who stands 1.80 meters tall, has played for clubs in France, Spain and Portugal. In Swansea, he will wear shirt No.9,and help manager Garry Monk cover for the Wilfried Bony's involvement in the African Cup of Nations next month.

"The deal was agreed early so I can spend an extra 10 days in Swansea training with the squad and getting to know my new teammates. It's going to be a big challenge because I have a lot of respect for fellow strikers Wilfried Bony and Bafetimbi Gomis," Oliveira said.

The transfer window for Barclays Premier League clubs opens Jan 3, 2015 and runs until 11 p.m. Feb 2.