Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors have bolstered their squad ahead of the new season with the high-profile signing of Brazilian striker Anderson Lopes from Yokohama F. Marinos on a three-year deal.
The 31-year-old, who turned down offers from Botafogo and clubs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, joins the Sailors after an impressive stint in the J.League 1. While the transfer fee was not disclosed, The Straits Times reports it is less than the club’s record signings of Diego Lopes (€1.8m) and Bart Ramselaar (€1.5m).
Lopes was drawn by the Sailors’ ambitious project and Singapore’s family-friendly environment. “I want to grow with the club, win titles, and make history here,” he said. The Brazilian, who has two young children, also cited his upbringing in Recife’s favelas as the source of his relentless work ethic.
Since 2022, Lopes has scored 57 goals for Yokohama, winning back-to-back J.League Golden Boots and finishing joint-second top scorer in the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite with nine goals. He outscored the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Aleksandar Mitrović, and Roberto Firmino.
In addition to Yokohama, Lopes previously featured for fellow J1 League clubs Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, South Korea’s FC Seoul in the K League 1, and the now-defunct Chinese side Wuhan Yangtze River.
His departure leaves a struggling Yokohama side—currently bottom of the J1 League—with the difficult task of quickly finding a suitable replacement. As Hideo Oshima’s men continue to battle poor form, the once-unthinkable threat of relegation to the J2 League is becoming an increasingly real possibility with each passing week.
LCS head coach Aleksandar Ranković praised Lopes’ all-around ability: “He’s not just a scorer—he holds up play, creates chances, and brings a strong presence to our front line.”
Lopes joins a stacked Sailors attack featuring Maxime Lestienne, Lennart Thy, Ramselaar, and Shawal Anuar. The club has also added national team veteran Safuwan Baharudin, Croatian goalkeeper Ivan Sušak, and former Germany U-20 midfielder Tsiy Ndenge.
Fresh off their historic AFC Champions League Two final appearance, the Sailors will begin their 2025 campaign against BG Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Community Shield on August 16.
With Anderson Lopes leading the line, the Sailors are aiming higher than ever—as contenders at home and across Asia.