Joao Pedro will be donning the colours of Tarxien Rainbows again this season after agreeing to extend his stay with the Premier League club and penning a new one-year deal.

The Brazilian winger’s contract expired in June and the 23-year-old had look set to move elsewhere in the current transfer window.

However, the Rainbows got engaged in negotiations with the former Flamengo player who agreed to continue his career in the BOV Premier League before signing the new contract.

Last season, Pedro played a key role in helping Tarxien finish sixth in the championship, netting nine goals in the process.

He becomes the second foreign player registered by the Rainbows over the last few days as last weekend coach Jacques Scerri brought in defender Eloy Nkene, formerly of Premier League rivals St Andrew’s.

Nkene was released by the Saints in May and Tarxien decided to bring in the Equatorial Guinea player to further strengthen their backline following the departure of Bruno.

Brazilian Bruno moved to Balzan this summer.

St Andrew’s look set to parade an almost new set of foreigners in the new season with the only non-Maltese player to retain his place in Jose Borg’s roster so far being Choi Bong-Won, the South Korean defender.

In the off-season, the Saints signed five overseas players – Ivan Edgardo Paz, an Argentine attacking midfielder, Serbian midfielder Nenad Belacevic, winger Daniel Brandle, of Liechtenstein, and defenders Felix Okon Udoh, of Nigeria, and Croatia’s Karlo Kesinovic.

Manuel Pena Beltre, the Spanish right-back, could also make an unexpected return to the St Andrew’s fold despite reports elsewhere linking him with a transfer to Mosta last month.

Pena Beltre did not feature for Mosta in pre-season friendlies these past couple of weeks.

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