Spartak Moscow have managed to bring in Brazilian midfielder Fernando from Italian outfit Sampdoria for around € 13 million.

The 24-year-old will be a big addition for the Russian outfit and he will not need any time for acclimatisation after having been used to Eastern European football from his time at Shakhtar Donetsk. Fernando had joined the Sampdoria from Shakhtar Donetsk only last summer for around € 8 million. Hence, this transfer represents a neat little profit for the Italian club. After having come through the ranks at Gremio, Fernando Lucas Martins joined Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

He played at the Ukrainian club for a two years and made only 27 appearances before making the move to Sampdoria. Last season, he was one of the first-team regulars for the club and he racked up 33 appearances in the league alone while scoring four goals in these games. Fernando has also featured for the Brazilian national team on eight occasions since making his debut in 2012. The intense competition for the defensive midfield position in the national team limits his opportunities to make an impact at international level. Spartak Moscow will be able to benefit immensely by the presence of the 24-year-old since he has a long time still left in football.

Even though he is just 24, the defensive midfielder has plenty of experience of playing in colder climates. Even though Fernando was a big presence for Sampdoria last season, the club could only finish just outside the relegation zone. They have been selling a number of their stars over the summer in order to clean up the squad. Fernando’s sale, however, brings in a lot of money that could be used for reinvestment purposes. Last season was highly disappointing for Spartak Moscow after they failed to finish even in the Champions League qualification spots.