Pablo to FC Lokomotiv Moscow: It's official

The Girondins de Bordeaux can now confirm that Pablo Nascimento Castro will be joining Russian top-flight side FC Lokomotiv Moscow. The Brazilian defender has already travelled to meet up with his new team-mates at their mid-season training camp. Starting out with Ceará, Pablo played for Gremio Porto Alegre, Avai and Ponte Preta before joining the Girondins in August 2015. He made his Ligue 1 debut against Paris SG (2-2), going on to play 18 matches in his first season in France. His first goal for the club came against Olympique Lyonnais, during a superb home victory (3-1).

Pablo's second season with the Girondins was a little more subdued, and he returned to Brazil for a loan spell with Corinthians spanning the end of the 2016-2017 season and the beginning of the 2017-2018 campaign. The experience did him a world of good, as he established himself in the starting line-up and won the Brazilian league in 2017. Returning to Bordeaux in January 2018, the central defender immediately established himself in the first team and demonstrated the progress made over the past year. Coaches came and went, but Pablo remained a stalwart of the Girondins defence and one of the most reliable centre backs in the division. Performances which earned him two caps with the legendary Seleção.

Pablo has made a total of 113 appearances for Bordeaux, scoring seven goals. Set to turn 30 soon, Pablo has decided the time has come to open a new chapter in his career, taking on a new challenge in Russia. In Moscow he will link up with fellow ex-Girondin François Kamano, who also joined Lokomotiv last summer. Lokomotiv Moscow will be counting on Pablo to help them finish the season on a high, after a difficult start. Knocked out of Europe, Lokomotiv are currently 8th in the league (out of 16) with 11 matches still to play. They are also through to the last 16 of the cup.

Pablo made great progress and established himself as a top player during his time with Bordeaux, not least thanks to his reliability at the back. He has also been a popular and positive presence at the club, smiling, hard-working and a proven fighter who has battled back from injury to give his all for the team. We will remember him fondly, and wish him all the very best for the rest of his career!