ISL 2017: FIFA U-17 World Cup star Komal Thatal rejects European, I-League club offers for Indian Super League

What’s the story?

Komal Thatal, who had impressed one and all with his skills during the FIFA U-17 World Cup, is said to have turned down offers from a few European clubs and is instead looking for a stint in one of the ISL sides.

“A second division club from Turkey had offered Komal a contract, but he rejected it, citing that he could have more opportunities in the ISL,” a source close to the player said to Sportskeeda.

Although Thatal is yet to sign a formal deal with any ISL club, the young star has also turned down an offer from I-League side Minerva Punjab.

“I contacted his agent and told him that we could offer him a minimum of 10-matches game-time. But his agent told me that he is looking for some ISL clubs,” said Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj.

In case you didn’t know…

Thatal had been one of the most promising players in the lead-up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, but could only play one match during the tournament after reportedly falling out with head coach Luis Norton de Matos.

More recently, the promising players of the India U-17 and U-19 sides have been brought together under one roof by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) under the name of Indian Arrows, a team that will play in the I-League, which is the “official” top-tier football league in India at the moment.

However, Thatal was again left out of the Arrows side, which is also set to be coached by Matos.

The heart of the matter

It has come to light that the promising youngster from Sikkim has courted offers from a few European clubs, including one offer from the Turkish second division. However, he has decided not to take up the offer.

Bajaj also stated that he was not sure whether the player got any offers from Europe but his agent clearly told him that he was on the lookout for ISL clubs.

What’s next?

With the ISL season already underway, it could get difficult for Thatal to find a new club anytime soon. However, he has shown that he has the potential to become a future star of Indian football and that could be motivation enough for one of the ISL clubs to snap him up.

Author’s take

Thatal has already shown that he is one of the most talented young football players in the country. However, being left without a club is not something that will help him improve himself. The youngster needs to play regularly, in order to develop into the future star that Indian football fans expect him to be.