Swansea City agree signing of Ricardo Santos

Swansea City has reached an agreement to sign defender Ricardo Santos, subject to international clearance.

The 29-year-old will join the Swans on a two-year contract, which will come into effect on July 1, having most recently been on the books of Bolton Wanderers.

The centre-half will provide defensive depth and competition for head coach Alan Sheehan, and has made over 200 EFL appearances across his professional career.

He is set to become the fourth new arrival in SA1 this summer, with Melker Widell, Zeidane Inoussa and Bobby Wales already preparing for their first season in Swansea colours.

Born in Portugal, Santos started off in the youth ranks at Dagenham & Redbridge, before spells with Billericay Town (loan), Dover Athletic and Thurrock.

His break in the EFL came with Peterborough United in 2014 and he went on to spend just under three years with Posh before having three-and-half seasons with Barnet.

Santos went on to join Bolton in August 2020, and made 207 appearances for them in all competitions, helping them to promotion from League Two in 2021 and EFL Trophy success in 2023.

He has been named in the EFL team of the year for the division he has played in over four of the last five campaigns.

Head coach Alan Sheehan said: “We are very pleased to welcome Ricardo to Swansea City. He is an experienced player who is well-versed in the demands of playing in the EFL.

“He is a player I have known about for a long time, and someone we believe is capable of making the step up to Championship level.

“There were a number of clubs interested in securing his services, and we are delighted he has chosen Swansea City.”

Director of football Richard Montague said: “We have identified certain areas of the squad where we recognise there is a need to have greater depth and competition, and we believe the addition of Ricardo will help us do that defensively.

“He has considerable experience of the EFL, and the fact he has been in the team of the year for his division in four of the last five seasons speaks to his consistency. 

"We believe his character and leadership will be a welcome addition to the squad, and we are looking forward to him linking up with Alan and the team for the start of pre-season.”

Global head of analytics and recruitment Adam Worth, added: “As a club we have identified the need to have a blend of youth and experience within the senior squad, and Ricardo brings no shortage of knowledge of the EFL.

“He has been a proven leader at his previous clubs, and we believe he can be an important presence within the squad, and add to the defensive options available to Alan Sheehan and his coaching staff.”