Freiburg seal Fernandes signing

Freiburg have confirmed the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Gelson Fernandes.

The former Manchester City man spent the second half of last season back at his first club, Swiss side Sion, after failing to make an impression at the Estadio Jose Alvalade following his transfer from Saint-Etienne in July 2012.

Fernandes has spent spells at Udinese, Chievo and Leicester City and will now try to reignite his career in the Bundesliga after agreeing to move to Mage Solar Stadion.

Freiburg narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League football last season as they finished fifth, and manager Christian Streich is eager to boost his ranks as they try to maintain their presence in the top six.

“Gelson is a vastly experienced player, he works hard for his team. We are happy to have him and are out to sign two or three more players this summer,” Streich said.

Fernandes may have struggled to settle at a number of clubs he has played for, but Freiburg director Klemens Hartenbach feels he has the right temperament to make an impact.

He added: “Due to several circumstances he did not have the best of times at some of his most recent clubs. We are convinced he will fit right into our setup as a strong team-play character.”