Peterborough United confirm the signing of National League striker

The 25-year-old forward will join on loan until the end of the season ahead of a permanent transfer in the summer.

Tshimanga has scored seven goals in 17 National League appearances- for the side that sit in fourth- this season in what has been his first action back after suffering a serious injury last February.

Tshimanga fractured his leg and dislocated his ankle while in a red-hot vein of form last season. His season was prematurely ended on 24 goals in 27 league games.

Posh are believed to have beaten the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Gillingham to the signing.

In the summer, he was all set to move to Birmingham City in the Championship but the deal collapsed at the 11th hour. Unconfirmed reports said that he failed the medical.

Manager Darren Ferguson said: “He has a great goal-scoring record and he is someone I have known about for quite a while now, quite a few years to be honest. He had an injury, which curtailed his progress a little, but he has been available for 21 games since and I really like him as a player.

“He is strong, quick, a scorer of different types of goals and is a really good age. I am really excited about it. Obviously, we had to be prepared for Jack Marriott potentially leaving the club, at one stage it didn’t look like it was happening, but after speaking to Jack on Friday and Saturday, it became apparent that it was going to happen, so we had to move on quickly. Chesterfield were great to deal with and I am really looking forward to working with him.”

Tshimanga’s prowess in the National League was well-documented before his Chesterfield move, when he scored 19 goals in back-to-back campaigns for Boreham Wood, helping the side reach the play-offs in 2019/20.

Prior that he spent time at Oxford City and Boston United. He made began his career at Milton Keynes but made just six league appearances for the side.

He was loaned out seven times, including to Þróttur in Iceland, during his four years at the club before joining Boston in 2018.

It was 24 goals the following season for Oxford City in the National League South that kick-started Tshimanga’s rise and impressive goal-scoring run.

He played once for the England C team in April 2019.

He said: “I felt the time was right. When I heard a few days ago that Peterborough were interested, it was something that really excited me because everyone knows what they do for players.

"I spoke with the manager and he told me what he expects and he just wants me to be myself and carry on what I have been doing.

“It is great to get it done at the start of the week, it means I can get to know my team-mates and how the team want to play. When you are a young footballer, you always watch Sky Sports on deadline day so it is nice to be a part of it today! I am looking forward to getting started.”

Tshimanga will wear the number 39 shirt.