CSKA Moscow on Saturday announced the signing of 21-year-old Brazilian defender Mario Fernandes from Gremio on a five-year deal.
Neither club disclosed the transfer fee, which has put at between 12 million and 15 million euros in the Brazilian media.
Gremio will reportedly see only half of the fee because 50 percent of the rights to Fernandes were held by a third-party investor, a common practice in South American football.
Fernandes had been linked to several leading European clubs, and in December Gremio president Paulo Odone said that the club had held talks with Real Madrid.
The attacking right-back started his professional career at Gremio and played 54 games for the club.
Fernandes has suffered from personal problems in the past, and went missing for ten days after signing for Gremio in 2009.
He turned down a call-up to the Brazil squad for a friendly against Argentina in September, citing personal reasons for his decision.
Mario Fernandes restores the Brazilian connection for CSKA, who have been without a representative from the country since the Rusisan Premier League's all-time leading foreign goalscorer Vagner Love joined Flamengo in the winter break.
