Eder Citadin Martins has established himself as one of the best attackers in Serie A over the past couple of seasons. The former Sampdoria player completed his move to Inter last Friday for a loan with an obligation to buy. The total transfer fee is believed to be between 11-13 million euros. The player will earn 1.5 million euros per year until 202o.

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– Full Name: Eder Citadin Martins

– National Team: Italy (oriundi)

– Youth Clubs: Criciuma (2003-2005)

– Professional Clubs: Empoli (2005-2007/2009-2010), Frosinone (2007–2009), Brescia (2010–2011), Cesena (2011–2012), Sampdoria (2012–2016), Inter (2016–present)

– Nationality: Italian, born in Brazil but his great grandfather was from Veneto

– Right footed

– Height: 179cm/5 ft 9 in

– Weight: 72kg/158.4 lb

– Position: Support striker, striker, left winger, right winger

– Squad Number: 23

– Current Value: 13 million euros

– Current Contract: Expires June 30, 2020

– Current Salary: 1.5 million euros per year

– On a recent national team call up?: yes

– On a regular starter for club?: yes

– Career senior club appearances (In Serie A)/goals: 183/53

– Career national team appearances: 8

– Form in 2015/16 season, games/goals/assists: 19/12/2

– Shots per game: 2.8 (via whoscored)

– Dribbles per game: 1.1 (via whoscored)

– Key passes per game: 0.8 (via whoscored)

– Pass completion rate: 80.8% (via whoscored)

Early Years (youth)

 

Eder Citadin Martins was born in  Lauro Müller. He told Serie A TIM: “I started playing five aside football at the age of 5, before joining Criciuma.” Eder joined Brazilian Cricium at the age of 17, and after 2 years in the academy, he moved to the first team. The Brazilian was touted to be a star, and foreign clubs saw his talent at such an early age.

Professional Career: Criciuma (2004-2005)

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While playing for the Criciuma youth academy, Eder attracted interest from Italy. The player said that” “After 1 year with the first team, I attracted interest of clubs with Italy, such as Empoli, Lecce, and Fiorentina.” After only one appearance withe the Criciuma first team, Eder decided to move to Italy

Empoli

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Back in 2002, Eder went to a trial with Lecce. The player did not move to Italy as such a young age, and the club’s sporting director at the time, Pantaleo Corvino, kept a close eye on Eder ever since. In 2005, Corvino was the sporting director of Fiorentina, and Eder was very close to joining the Viola. Empoli directors hijacked the deal, and convinced Eder to reject Fiorentina in a bid to receive more playing time. The Brazilian only played five matches that season, and did not open his account in Serie A

Loan at Frosinone: 2007-2009

 

Eder was loaned out to Serie B side Frosinone in the winter of 2007. The Lazio side payed 6 hundred million euros for a co-ownership deal. Eder showed his quality. The Criciuma youth product scored 20 goals in 52 appearances, which persuaded Empoli to buy the player back.

Return to Empoli: 2009-2010

Eder bursted onto the scene in Italy during his fantastic 2009-2010 season in Serie B with Empoli. The Tuscan club payed 2.42 million euros to acquire the player’s full rights. Eder scored 27 goals in the league that season, making him the top goalscorer in Serie B, and attracting interest from Serie A clubs.

Brescia: 2010-2011

After impressing in Serie B, Eder joined Brescia on loan for 1.8 million euros. The Brazilian born striker was given consistent playing time under coach Giuseppe Iachini, and scored 6 goals in 35 appearances. Unfortunately, Brescia were relegated to the Serie B, and Eder moved on.

Cesena 2011-2012

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Eder joined Cesena on loan for 2.2 million euros. The striker’s playing time was cut short due to injuries, and he only went on to make 19 appearances in total, scoring 2 goals. Cesena were relegated to Serie B, and the side had a truly dismal season.

Sampdoria: 2012-2016

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Eder decided to take one step back to take two steps forward. The striker joined Serie B side Sampdoria for 3 million euros in the winter of 2o12. He went on to score 5 goals in 19 matches, firing his side to promotion and a return to Serie A.

2012-13 season

In the 2012-13 season, Sampdoria looked to make an impression in Serie A. After a very positive start, coach Ciro Ferrara was sacked and was replaced by Delio Rossio. The veteran coach implemented his tactics on the team, and the end product was positive results. A strike partnership of Eder and Mauro Icardi proved to make the difference, and the pair scored 18 goals in total that season, helping Sampdoria escape the relegation battle.

2013-14 season

Eder had his breakout season in Serie A under Sinisa Mihajlovic in the 2013-14 season. The former Inter player took over at Sampdoria mid-way throughout the season, and Eder fit right into the coach’s plans. Eder had an amazing season, where he scored 11 goals and notched 6 assists, attracting interest from the big Serie A clubs. The Sampdoria attack of Eder, Gabbiadini, and Okaka caused many problems for opposing teams. The Genoa club improved from the last campaign, finishing to a respectable 12th place.

2014-15 season

 

The 2014-15 season what incredible for the Sampdoria players and fans. Due to both Inter and Milan’s slip ups, Sampdoria jumped up the table and managed to achieve consistent results. The Genoa club were competing for the Champions League places until the end of January. Sampdoria sold one of their stars in Manolo Gabbiadini, which evidently affected the squad. However, Eder took leadership, and his step up in class resulted in him ending the season with 9 goals and 4 assists. One of Eder’s best goals was a long range freekick he scored against Inter at the Marassi. Sampdoria managed to qualify for the UEFA Europe League preliminary stages, which was a massive achievement  for the club.

2015-16 season

This season Eder has been one of the best players in Serie A. The Italian international is firing on all cylinders in what has been a tough campaign for his side. Sampdoria currently side 1 place ahead of the relegation zone, and without Eder’s 12 goals and 2 assists so far this season, they would be in a far worse position. Eder and Roberto Soriano are the jewels in this Sampdoria team. The duo’s impact is immense and they are the club’s two best players based at the moment. Now Eder will need to carry on his form from the Sampdoria shirt to the Inter shirt.

International Career

Due to Eder’s fantastic performances in the 2014-15 season, Antonio Conte called him up to the Italian national team. The player is eligible to play for the Azzurri due to his Italian roots. On 28 March 2015, Eder came on as a substitute in the Euro 2016 qualifier match, and in the 84th minute, he scored a precise strike from outside the area to earn Italy a vital point. Now Eder is a regular in the Italy squad, and he is expected to be called up to Euro 2016.

Playing Style

During Roberto Mancini’s press conference yesterday, he stated that: “Eder has unique qualities. He is different than other attackers.” The Italian international is a proven goalscorer, and his finishing is definitely a great quality about his game. The player’s striking ability has helped him score many goals from long range over the last couple of seasons. At 29, Eder still has 2-3 years at the top, and his agility and speed have helped him reach the level he is at now. Considering his price, Eder could be a fantastic bargain and a great buy. Overall Eder was a very good signing for Inter, and he brings a lot to the team. Eder is better.