New Valencia centre-back Aderlan Santos says he is a "warrior" who will give everything for his new club.
Santos' arrival has not been met with approval from Valencia fans, who see the former Braga defender as an underwhelming replacement for Nicolas Otamendi.
Otamendi was the leader of the Los Che defence as they finished fourth in La Liga last year, with the Argentina international's superb performances leading eventually to a €45 million move to Manchester City.
This left Valencia short on options in central defence, and the Mestalla club have moved to bring in Santos for an undisclosed fee said in some reports to be around €7.5 million.
The 26-year-old told Valencia's club radio station after signing a five-year contract that he was an aggressive and committed player who would battle for his new team.
"I am a battler and a warrior," Santos said. "If I have to leave my skin out on the field I will do that. I am a warrior and will give every last drop of sweat for the cause. I hope to contribute to the team with my attitude."
Santos also said that the move to play in the Champions League and Spanish championship was a challenge he was looking forward to.
"I'm happy and honoured to be signing for a big European club," he said. "Playing in the Champions League and La Liga are big challenges for me, and I hope to repay the confidence that Valencia have shown in me."
EQUIPO | Aderllan Santos: "Estoy honrado y feliz de llegar al @valenciacf " -> http://t.co/Na0JfzCy4Z pic.twitter.com/hMmE5MRhzN
- Valencia CF (@valenciacf) August 27, 2015
Valencia had been linked through recent weeks with moves for Manchester City's France international Eliaquim Mangala, Monaco's highly rated Aymen Abdennour and Zenit Saint Petersburg's Argentina international Ezequiel Garay, but instead have signed the previously little-heralded and uncapped Brazilian, who joined Braga in 2012 from lower league Portuguese side Trofense.
A fans' poll on the website of local sports paper Superdeporte saw 91 percent of over 2,500 respondents saying they did not like Santos as a replacement for their former hero Otamendi.
Valencia chairwoman Layhoon Chan nonetheless said the new arrival fits the profile of player that the club had been looking to sign.
"Santos is a player who is strong physically and has the profile that our squad needs for the three important competitions this season," Chan said. "We look forward to his contribution."
Los Che fans had been expecting a busy summer given the team's fourth-placed finish in La Liga, the ambition of owner Peter Lim to build a side competitive at the top level in European football, and Lim's close links with Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes.
However, the transfer window has yet to see any superstar arrivals at Mestalla -- with new players to arrive so far being mainly youngsters in former Celta Vigo attacker Santi Mina, ex-Braga midfielder Danilo, Australian goalkeeper Maty Ryan from Club Bruges and Belgian winger Zakaria Bakkali from PSV Eindhoven.
Santos' arrival means that Valencia have signed nine different players from Portuguese clubs (from Benfica, Braga, Porto, Rio Ave and Vitoria Setubal) since Lim and Mendes took control of the club's transfer business.