Chiquinho will spend the 2023/24 season on loan at Championship side Stoke City, joining Ki-Jana Hoever at the bet365 Stadium.
The loan move, which contains a January recall option, provides an opportunity for the winger to get back playing and continue his development, having missed the whole of last season through a knee injury.
Ruled out since last summer, the Portuguese battled back to fitness in the spring and rejoined Julen Lopetegui’s group this pre-season, where he has featured in friendlies under the Spaniard’s watch.
Chiquinho signed for the club in January 2022 and made nine appearances later that season, before his progress was halted by injury, and the temporary move to Stoke is intended to add to his minutes and experience.
Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “Chiquinho had a really bad injury and worked hard to come back. With him not being part of the manager’s immediate plans, it was important he went out to get regular football.
“It’s a club we know well, they develop players well, and they’ve been keen to have him – they think he’ll be important to them. It’ll be good for him to get a run of games and prove what he can do.
“In the wide areas he has some competition here so opportunities would have been limited for him. It’s no good for him after his injury, to be sat on the bench, he needs to trust his body again, and we need to find out more about him, so a loan move works for everyone.”
