Cypriot UEFA Europa League hopefuls APOEL FC have announced the signing of former FC København striker Ailton Almeida on a three-year deal.

The 25-year-old links up with two other Brazilian summer recruits, William Boaventura and Gustavo Manduca, as coach Ivan Jovanovič continues to add new blood to the squad that relinquished the league title to arch-rivals AC Omonia last season.

Ailton, whose acquisition is seen as a major coup by the fans of the Nicosia club, has first-hand experience of his new side having been on the wrong end of a UEFA Champions League play-off defeat last term in which APOEL pipped København to a group stage place.

The Brazilian marksman played in Sweden for Örgryte IS before joining København in 2007. He won three Superliga titles and one Danish Cup with the Copenhagen outfit.

Having eliminated FK Tauras 6-1 on aggregate, APOEL will host Czech team FK Jablonec in their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg on Thursday.