ISL: Bengaluru FC signs winger Nili Perdomo, loans Onwu to Odisha

Nili Perdomo, who is expected to arrive shortly, replaces striker Manuel Onwu, who has joined Odisha FC on loan till the end of the season.

Nili Perdomo playing for FC Barcelona.

Bengaluru FC has completed the signing of Spanish winger Nili Perdomo, on a deal till the end of the season, the club announced on Tuesday. The 25-year-old winger who is expected to arrive shortly replaces striker Manuel Onwu who has joined Odisha FC on loan till the end of the season.

Perdomo becomes Blues’ second signing of the January transfer window after striker Deshorn Brown.

Bengaluru's head coach Carles Cuadrat believes Nili will help the team going into the business-end of the season with the race to the top-spot heating up. “He is a young player with a lot of potential who has come to try to help us to achieve the objectives at a crucial moment of the season. We both share same roots as he also has been playing in La Masia, and even playing with the Barça first team for some games,” he said.

The winger who is comfortable playing on either flank was excited ahead of joining the Blues in what will be his first stint outside Europe. “Well, I am very happy to be able to go to the best club in India, and above all to thank the coach and the club for trusting me and giving me this opportunity. I am looking forward to starting and giving joy to the fans, I have seen many matches of our team, and I believe we have what it takes to be champions,” said Nili after completing formalities.

Having come through the youth set up at UD Las Palmas, Nili represented the Canary Islands’ side’s reserve team since 2013, before making his La Liga debut in the 2015-16 season. The following season he was signed by Barcelona for whom he appeared during the pre-season tour and a Copa Del Rey game while playing regularly with the reserve side.

The winger joined Segunda Division side Albacete during the first half of the 2017-18 season before travelling abroad for the first time in his career to play for Greek side Platanias FC where he has been playing for the past two seasons.

Having replaced Onwu in the squad, Nili signs as the seventh foreigner and becomes the fourth Spaniard in the team joining Dimas Delgado, Juanan Gonzalez, and Albert Serran.