UEFA Champions League group stage debutants SC Braga have secured the services of Valencia CF's Portugal midfielder Hugo Viana for the next three seasons.

Viana impressed during a loan spell with Braga last term, scoring four times in 28 league games, and now returns in a permanent deal. The Spanish outfit agreed to cancel the 27-year-old's contract, enabling him to join the Portuguese Liga club, who sit second after three games of the new campaign.

"We were talking from the end of last season and with Braga's effort and my desire we knew this process would have a happy ending," said the former Sporting Clube de Portugal and Newcastle United FC man, who has been capped 26 times. Braga begin their UEFA Champions League programme at Arsenal FC on 15 September, with FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FK Partizan their other opponents in Group H.