Michael Mifsud will play for Valletta in the final two months of this season after the Malta striker last night agreed a short-term deal with the Citizens.
As the 2009/10 season has now reached its final stages, doubts over Mifsud's prospects of signing for a new club before the next transfer window had increased but last night the former Coventry City forward dispelled the uncertainty about his immediate future by accepting Valletta's offer.
Mifsud is in a position to join a club outside the transfer windows as he had not signed a new contract after his deal with English Championship side Coventry City expired at the end of last season.
News that Mifsud, widely regarded as one of the best players ever to come out of the Maltese islands, will turn out for Valletta in the title run-in is certainly music to the ears of the City fans who have craved his signature since last summer.
Valletta have the strongest squad in the Premier League and the addition of Mifsud will surely fuel their already high optimism about their chanches of completing a treble of league, Anniversary Cup and FA Trophy.
Birkirkara, now regarded as Valletta's main challengers for the title, also made a bold attempt to sign Mifsud while Sliema, the 28-year-old striker's first club, had also signalled their interest.
But talks with Victor Sciriha, the Valletta president, yesterday finally led to an agreement with Mifsud who could make his City debut in Saturday's Championship Pool clash with Sliema Wanderers.
Mifsud, who last Wednesday set a new scoring record for the national team after his goal in the 2-1 friendly defeat to Finland took his all-time tally to 24, has not played for a Maltese club since 2004 when he helped Sliema win the title after joining them in January.
Although Mifsud has repeatedly said that his priority was to pursue his career overseas, the former Kaiserslautern and Lillestrom hitman has been weighing up the benefits of joining a leading Maltese team for the final phase of the season to relaunch his club career while enhancing his chances of adding to his list of domestic honours.
Mifsud's decision to sign for Valletta is likely to prompt Birkirkara to end all discussions with Russian club Spartak Nalchik over the transfer of Dutch forward Sylvano Comvalius.
Spartak Nalchik want to take Comvalius on an initial four-month deal but their first offer has been turned down by Birkirkara who are now expected to terminate negotiations.
Birkirkara are level with Valletta on 26 points at the top of the Premier League with eight games remaining.