Nilton Varela, a 25-year-old Portuguese and Cape Verdean left-back, will join Marítimo on a permanent transfer for the next two seasons. The defender is already in Madeira and will sign a contract until the end of June 2028, with his official presentation expected to occur within the next few hours. The move is Varela's return to Portugal after a season with Beerschot in Belgium's Challenger Pro League, where he was not frequently used, participating in eleven games. He is a fast and versatile player and will be another option on the left flank for manager Mitchell van der Gaag. Varela has one cap for Portugal's U19 team and his current market value is €800k, according to Transfermarkt.