Indian Football Transfers: Delhi Dynamos loan in striker Aridane Santana from Spain
ISL club Delhi Dynamos has roped in striker Aridane Santana on loan from Spanish third division club Cultural Leonesa, according to his previous club's official website. The 32-year-old scored 13 goals in 32 appearances last season and even played against Barcelona in their home leg at the Copa del Rey.
Santana becomes the sixth foreigner to pen a deal for Josep Gombau's side and the fourth Spaniard to do so. The previous three names were Carlos Delgado, Xisco Hernandez, and Marcos Tebar. The other two foreigners in Delhi Dynamos' ranks are former Barcelona B midfielder Diawandou Diagne and Argentine left-winger Martin Perez Guedes.
This will be Santana's second venture in Asia, having played for Bangkok Glass in the Thai League during the 2014-15 season. There, he scored 9 goals for them in 16 appearances.
Delhi Dynamos are yet to announce the signing officially but are expected to do so in the coming days. Amidst various media reports indicating that the club is on their way to shift their base to Bhubaneswar, it would be welcome news for their fans who were clamoring for the management to sign a foreign striker.
With the AFC Champions League Qualifiers spot, supposedly, in contention, every ISL club is going full-on in the transfer market to get on board the best foreign players. ATK remains the only club so far to have filled their foreign quota while FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC each alongside Delhi Dynamos have made six signings so far.
FC Pune City and NorthEast United are the only two clubs who are yet to make any foreign signings in the transfer market but are expected to join the bandwagon soon.
Delhi Dynamos have made a couple of interesting Indian signings as well. Arshdeep Singh, Gaurav Bora, and Jerry Mawihmingthanga will be the new faces whereas the club is expected to part ways with Indian international Lallianzuala Chhangte, who is looking to give wings to his European ambitions.