The Slovenian outfit made a late signing on Sunday’s deadline day
Former Hull City loanee Oscar Zambrano has sealed a permanent switch to Slovenian club NK Maribor as he prepares to return to football following a year-long doping ban.
Maribor, who are owned by Tigers chief Acun Ilicali, has agreed a deal with Zambrano’s club in Ecuador, LDU Quito, which has seen the 21-year-old sign a contract until the summer of 2029.
Zambrano can return to football after November 3, having been forced to miss the last 12 months, after being slapped with a 16-month doping ban, which was later reduced to 12 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
City signed the talented midfielder last summer with a view to making his move permanent during the transfer window, which closed a week ago, but were unable to strike a deal with Quito because of transfer restrictions, though they have retained their interest throughout.
“Oscar is a player with exceptional potential who will significantly raise the quality of our team,” the club’s head of football operations, Cem Başgül, said.
“He is an internationally highly regarded player who will be absent until November due to unfortunate circumstances, but it was this situation that allowed us to bring him in.
“His profile, mentality and technical abilities perfectly match the style of football we want to implement on the pitch. We are convinced that he will become an important reinforcement of the team, especially in the second part of the season, when every match will be decisive.”
The youngster from Santo Domingo played eight times for City at the beginning of last season, with his last outing coming in a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth in early November, with his sole goal and assist coming in the 4-2 victory over Cardiff City.
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