Central Coast Mariners have “fought off interest” from clubs in Europe and Asia to prise Ghanaian striker Paul Ayongo to Gosford.
The Mariners announced the signing of the 25-year-old on a two-year deal ahead of the 2023-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Ayongo joins the Mariners from Academico de Viseu in Portugal’s second division, where he made 67 appearances over two seasons and was involved in 21 goals – scoring 18 of them and assisting three.
“Paul has been on our scouting list since I was promoted to the A-League last season,” Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery said.
“We know the player well and after his name came across our scouting network multiple times, Sergio and I arranged a zoom call to convince him that the Mariners would be a good move for him and his career.
“Paul is a very popular player at his previous clubs, due largely to his outstanding work rate and his honesty on and off the pitch.
“One thing we know about Paul is that he won’t back down and with his arrival, it will create more competition for places within our forward line, which pushes everyone to be better and is the only way to be successful.
“We successfully fought off interest from other clubs in Europe and Asia for Paul and I’m delighted that we can secure his signature for the next two years.”
Prior to joining Academico de Viseu in 2020, he had been on the books of top-tier Portuguese club Pacos de Ferreira.
Ayongo made his professional debut for Pacos de Ferreira in a 3-2 win over Academico in 2018.
During his time at Pacos, Ayongo scored four goals, having made a name for himself with third-division side Amarante FC, where he concluded his three-year spell with 23 goals in 32 matches in the 2017-18 campaign.
“I am really looking forward to coming to Australia and making an impact on the A-League and hopefully scoring a few goals in the process,” Ayongo said.
“I’ve heard great things about the Central Coast and I am excited to get to know the boys and work with Monty [Nick Montgomery] and Sergio [Sergio Raimundo – Assistant Coach].”
