Leicester sign Tete until end of season

Tete has joined Leicester on loan  (PA Archive)
Tete has joined Leicester on loan (PA Archive)

Leicester City have signed Brazil Under-23 winger Tete on a deal to the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

The 22-year-old is contracted to Shakhtar Donetsk, but has been at Lyon since March 2022 under the FIFA ruling which allowed all foreign players to suspend their contracts in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. He is currently due to return to Shakhtar on July 1.

Tete, who will become the first Brazilian to play for Leicester, has six goals and three assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon this term and hopes to add some attacking impetus to a Leicester side still in the thick of the Premier League’s relegation battle.

“I’m really happy to be here,” Tete said. “I’ve had a look at the pitch and the stadium, it’s beautiful and I can already imagine what it’ll be like with a lot of fans.

“I hope to score a lot of goals and assists. I hope they’ll all be happy to see me play. I’m happy to be a Fox.”

Tete joined Shakhtar in February 2019 after breaking through with Gremio and memorably scored in the Ukrainian club’s 3-2 Champions League win over Real Madrid in October 2020.

After Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup win at Walsall, Leicester are next in action when they travel to Aston Villa next weekend.