RAPHAEL Rossi Branco has now signed a new contract with Swindon Town, according to his boss Mark Cooper.

Negotiations over a new deal have wrangled on for a while, with Branco frozen out of the first team since the win at Peterborough last month.

The defender’s future at the club did not look bright with chairman Lee Power last week saying that Branco had played his last game for the club after apparently going back on a verbal agreement to sign a new deal.

Last Monday, the Advertiser revealed the former Whitehawk man did want to stay at Swindon, but was unhappy at being issued an ultimatum on a deal by the club with terms he was not happy with.

By the end of the week, reports emerged that Branco was poised to agree a further two-year stay, taking him up to 2017 and he was back in the squad for Saturday’s defeat, going unused as Town lost out to Doncaster Rovers.

Post-game Cooper confirmed that Branco had signed a new deal, without being forthcoming on the details.

Similarly, there has been no official confirmation from the club over whether the 24 year old has agreed terms.

Asked if he was happy to have the defender extend his stay in Swindon, Cooper said: “Yeah that’s fine, he’s just got to get into the team now.”

The County Ground chief did add that with Branco available to him again he can prioritise other areas when strengthening in January.

“It’s perfect for us,” he added. “We don’t have to go out and look for another one or we don’t have to gamble on someone that we don’t know so it’s perfect that he’s signed and I’m glad that it’s all done.’’