What's the story?
Mohun Bagan's two key players, goalkeeper Debjit Majumder and right-back Pritam Kotal, are in talks with Tata Steel's new Indian Super League (ISL) club over a possible transfer. According to our sources close to the scene, the duo has started negotiating with the new ISL franchise, although talks have barely progressed from the informal stage.
The context
Tata Steel will float a new team in the ISL next season after their bid to join the popular franchise league was accepted earlier this month. They, alongside Bengaluru FC, will be the new entrants to ISL-4 as the league sets about expanding its roster of teams and extending its duration.
The organisers of the ISL have proposed a draft system for players ahead of the upcoming campaign so that new clubs like Tata Steel's outfit are not at an early disadvantage. With Mohun Bagan unable to break into the rarified surroundings of the ISL, the Kolkata giants risk losing their best players to ISL franchises, as Majumder and Kotal's moves show.
The heart of the matter
Both Majumder and Kotal played key roles in Atletico de Kolkata's ISL title win last season and were vital cogs in Mohun Bagan's second place finish in both I-League and Federation Cup this year.
Majumder, who joined Bagan in 2014, was part of the Mariners' I-League winners of 2014/15 and also a key man in their goal when they won the Federation Cup last year. Kotal, meanwhile, has been a model of consistency of late and is one of the first names in Stephen Constantine's Indian national team.
What's next?
The new-look, cash-rich ISL's imminent acceptance as a full-fledged league by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) means that the popular franchise league is set to become the primary league of India. With more money flowing into the ISL, it is no surprise that premier Indian players like Majumder and Kotal can be potentially lured away from the traditional giants of Indian football like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
Should both players conclude their negotiations on a positive note, it will be a pointer to the fact that the likes of Bagan no longer hold sway over which players they can attract and retain, as the financial clout of ISL clubs take precedence.
Author's take
The retooled ISL promises to match the best leagues in the world in terms of quality of coverage and facilities, hence the best Indian players will be expected to leave the I-League confines and move to ISL clubs sooner or later. Although their talks with the Tata Steel team are in the initial stages, Majumder and Kotal have made the start, and this could well be the theme of Indian football's transfers in the near future.
