Pacific FC Signs Dutch Forward Gianni dos Santos

Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC has signed Dutch forward Gianni dos Santos ahead of the upcoming season.

The 22-year-old forward began his career with FC Dordrecht in 2017 before transitioning to Sparta Rotterdam as a youth prospect the following season. Returning to Dordrecht last year, he was described as a ‘diamond in the rough’ by head coach Harry van den Ham prior and scored four goals in 17 appearances last season to Pacific FC picking him up.

While Gianni can play up top as an outright striker, he’s also capable of playing out on the right wing too. With versatility being a highly valued attribute in a salary cap league like the Canadian Premier League, it’s not surprising that PFC head coach Pa-Modou Kah took notice of the Dutch-Cape Verdean forward.

Gianni is a young player with good technical ability and potential. He brings a wealth of playing knowledge from playing in the Dutch second division and we welcome him to the PFC family.

Pa-Modou Kah

Having arrived to Vancouver Island in May, Gianni has already had the opportunity to begin training with the squad.

While Pa-Modou Kah having instilled a reputation for a lethal counter-attacking team at The Island Games last year, the club continued to reinforce its midfield and forward contingent with some interesting additions: former York United Captain Manny Aparicio was brought into midfield, with others like SFU standout Matteo Polisi and former North Ireland youth international Ollie Bassett arriving as low-risk, high-reward additions to the squad.

On the other side of the pitch, the club’s defensive end has seen the retirement of team captain Marcel de Jong, with his replacement Duran Lee now set to miss the upcoming season due to an injury suffered in preseason training. The club still has roster space to make further additions, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see another defender come in.

With Gianni dos Santos describes as a ‘diamond in the rough’, his signing seems to be in the same vein. He arrives as just the third international signing rostered to the club, behind Ollie Bassett and Alejandro Diaz.

The 2021 Canadian Premier League season is set to kick off in either mid-June or early July, with the league planning to launch the upcoming campaign in a single location before potentially transitioning to home markets with fans in the stands when health officials greenlight such a move.

Pacific FC did not disclose the length or financial details of Gianni’s contract.