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What's the story?
FC Goa have signed H Lalmuankima from the I-league club Aizawl FC on a free transfer after his contract expired in December 2017 according to sources close to the player.
In case you didn't know
Lalmuankima was part of the Aizawl squad that won the I-League beating the likes of Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC and East Bengal. Interestingly, he did not even put the ball in the back of the net even once in the whole season but managed to set up a lot of goals for the strikers.
The heart of the matter
The left winger becomes the first player to make a transfer from the I-league to the ISL in mid-season.
After scoring 19 goals in just 7 matches, FC Goa has added to their attacking depth which will help them in the 18-match league season plus the knockout stages.
If FC Goa qualifies for the knockout stage, they could end up playing a maximum of 12 matches in approximately 45 days between January 20 and March 17. This transfer can aid them in dealing with the tight schedule of the league.
What next?
With FC Goa's forwards Coro and Manuel Lanzarote in great goal-scoring form, Lalmuankima is an ideal addition to Sergio Lobera's squad. The man from Mizoram had started all five league games for Aizawl and would be a big miss for the defending I-League champions.
As the winter transfer window opens on 15th January, Lalmuankima is most likely to make his debut against Kerala Blasters on January 21.
Author's take
Lalmuankima can prove to be a great signing over the course of this season and for further years as well.
However, this transfer is not a good news for the Mizoram-based club as they had already lost a lot of personnel including their manager and key players in the summer to giants of Indian football like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
