Lokomotiv Moscow defender Manuel da Costa has joined Portuguese side Nacional on a season-long loan deal, a spokesman for the Russian side told R-Sport on Friday.

Da Costa, 26, joined Lokomotiv last year from West Ham United and made 15 appearances for the club, scoring two goals.

The Portuguese defender got a straight red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity in a 3-0 defeat to CSKA Moscow in May and has not played for Lokomotiv since.

“Da Costa completed a medical in the Portuguese club yesterday and he will spend one season there on loan,” said Kirill Kotov, the head of Lokomotiv's transfer policy.

Kotov clarified that the deal does not include a buyout clause at the end of the term with the Madeira-based team.

French-born Da Costa has never played for a club in Portugal, where he has made 22 appearances for the under-21s but none as yet for the senior side..

Before joining West Ham in 2009, he represented AS Nancy, PSV Eindhoven and Fiorentina.