Former Wigan striker Franco Di Santo moves to Werder Bremen

The Argentina international was a free agent

Franco Di Santo (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Wigan striker Franco Di Santo has signed a three-year deal at Werder Bremen after passing a medical.

The 24-year-old Argentina international, who became a free agent after leaving Wigan at the end of June, scored five goals in 35 appearances for the relegated Barclays Premier League club last season.

Werder director of sport Thomas Eichin confirmed the frontman passed his medical at a Bremen clinic on Tuesday.

Eichin told the club's official website, http://www.werder.de: "We had been in the hunt for a robust striker with experience in a big league.

"We are very confident that we have found a good solution in Franco Di Santo.

"He is experienced but still possesses enough potential for development in order to make a great leap forwards.

"He wants to make it to the 2014 World Cup with Argentina and we would be very happy if he gained the necessary attention playing in Bremen for him to achieve that goal."

Di Santo also spent time with both Chelsea and Blackburn before moving to Wigan in 2010 and will be officially unveiled in Bremen on Thursday.

He admitted he is ready for the new challenge in Germany, saying: "Werder have a very good name and the Bundesliga is a very attractive league. I want to show what I am capable of here".

Chief executive Thomas Gauge is delighted to have secured the services of Di Santo until 2016, and he said in Bild: "We were looking for quality and we have found it."

PA