Atletico Madrid have just signed Reinildo Mandava on a contract until the summer of 2025 according to Marca. The former Lille left-back will compete with Renan Lodi and Yannick Carrasco for that spot on the left side of Diego Simeone’s defence.
“I’m very happy to be at Atletico,” Reinildo said. “It’s a dream come true as I’ve been dreaming of reaching the top ever since I was a child. Even more so when you come from Africa, from a country like Mozambique.
“It’s an incomparable moment and now I’m here to work and help. I’m happy to represent this great club, the champion of Spain, and I will help in whatever way I can. Reinildo is a fighter who gives everything on the field. I play at 120%, not 100%.”
Reinildo, 28, was born in Beira in Mozambique and began his career with Ferroviario da Beira. He then headed for Portugal to join Benfica before heading to Belenenses after loan spells with Fafe and Sporting Covilha.
He joined Lille from Belenenses in 2019 on loan before joining permanently shortly afterwards. A Mozambican international, he’s earned 31 caps for his country.
Reinildo made 87 appearances for Lille and scored one goal for the French club. He was key as they beat Paris Saint-Germain to remarkably win Ligue 1 last season and is an interesting addition to Atletico. It’s unknown whether he’ll make his debut this Sunday afternoon when they face Barcelona at Camp Nou.
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