Earlier this month, Swansea manager Garry Monk bolstered his attacking options with the capture of Braga centre-forward Eder on a three-year deal. Having plied his trade in the Primeira Liga for the past six seasons, the Portuguese striker was delighted to finally make the switch to the Liberty, after first arriving on the Swans’ radar back in 2012, when Michael Laudrup was in charge:
“I am very happy to have signed with Swansea. It’s a big club and I believe I can progress as a footballer here. The Premier League will be a step up for me, but I’ve played in the European competitions and also for my country so I’ve experienced different levels of the game. Hopefully my team-mates will help me develop and settle in quickly at the club. I can’t wait to meet all of them when I report for pre-season training. Swansea are a solid club who have big ambitions – last season confirmed that – and it’s great for me to be a part of it.”
The History
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Eder emigrated to Portugal at a young age and begun his footballing career at ADC Ademia. The six-foot-three-inch forward earned his senior debut for third-division Portuguese outfit Oliverira Hospital, producing seven goals in 23 appearances before switching to fellow third division club Tourizense, where he amassed 10 goals in 34 outings the following season.
Having cut his teeth in the lower leagues, Eder’s first taste of top-flight football arrived following a move to Academica. Throughout his four seasons with the Primeira Liga side, Eder carded 12 goals and nine assists in 83 league outings and also contributed to Academica’s first Portuguese Cup win since 1939, courtesy of a win over Sporting Lisbon.
Braga then snapped up the Portugal international in the summer of 2012 on a four-year deal. Eder’s first season with Os Arcebispos (The Archbishops) was curtailed by injury when he suffered ligament damage in February. Nonetheless, he still managed to tally an impressive 13 goals and three assists in just 18 league appearances.
Eder made just ten starts the following campaign, registering three goals and two assists. The past season saw the rangy forward handed the most pitch time since his transfer to Braga, harvesting 10 goals and one assist in 28 appearances. In all, Eder notched 26 goals and six assists in 59 league outings during his stay at the Municipal Stadium.
On the international front, Eder made his full debut for Portugal during a 2014 World Cup qualifier back in August 2012. His solitary goal for A Seleccao arrived in a friendly against Italy in June 2015.
The Prospects
Given that Swans boss Garry Monk primarily favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation last term, there doesn’t appear to be a natural role for Eder to fill. Bafetimbi Gomis is sure to retain his lone striker berth – having bagged five goals in his last six appearances of the campaign – while Gylfi Sigurdsson cemented the number ten spot with seven goals and ten assists in the season gone by. On the flanks, new boy Andre Ayew will likely be deployed in his favoured role on the left, while Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge are able servants on either wing.
Having been fielded as a centre-forward in every league appearance he made last season, Eder should serve as a back-up to Gomis in a one-striker formation – particularly when Monk has already referred to Eder as “competition” for the former Lyon frontman:
“Eder is the type of striker we’ve been looking for. He has excellent attributes; strong, quick and technically sound with the ball. He has a good pedigree and is a full international with Portugal. He fits our profile in terms of the players we’ve signed in the last two seasons because he’s young, hungry and eager to prove himself in the Premier League. He has the characteristics we are looking for and will certainly add competition to the striking department. I’m looking forward to seeing him work alongside the likes of Bafe (Gomis) and Marvin (Emnes). And the fact that we’ve got him in early is a bonus.”
Last year, however, Monk adopted a 4-3-1-2 formation on a handful of occasions, and a return to such a system would allow the Portuguese marksman to possibly earn starts in a two-man attack. That being said, Ayew also possess the skill set to partner Gomis up top and could be considered a better foil to the Frenchman in light of his propensity for making runs in behind.
Save for developments in pre-season that suggest he can establish a starting role, Eder – priced at 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League game – looks like one to steer clear of in the early stages. Currently, Sigurdsson and Ki Sung-yeung are the most popular outfield options for the Swans; both currently sit in 9.1% of teams, with the latter’s eight strikes and 5.5 price tag making him one of the stand-out options in the sub-6.0 midfield bracket. Gomis, meanwhile, is available for only 7.0, and having netted against the likes of Arsenal and City last season, has already highlighted his fixture-proof appeal.
The Swans kick off the 2015/16 campaign with a trip to champions Chelsea, before hosting Manchester United in Gameweek 4. Mercifully, the Welsh club’s other four fixtures (NEW, sun, wat, EVE ) in their opening half-dozen look to be more fertile grounds for their attacking contingent. For now, though, it seems Eder’s time may be restricted to minutes off the bench unless Monk switches systems in order to accommodate a two-man frontline.
