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Tajikistan international Komron Tursunov might jump ship from the I-League to the ISL for the upcoming season, with Kerala Blasters expressing interest in bringing him on board. However, no contract has been offered to the former Mohun Bagan player by the Kerala Blasters so far, Sportskeeda has learnt.
"The talks are at the initial stage. Kibu Vicuna, the new manager, is highly interested to bring him on board. The final decision lies with the technical director though. Let's see what happens in the end," a source close to the development said.
Tursunov played football on Indian soil for the first time at the 2019 Intercontinental Cup when he scored against India at the Transstadia Stadium in Ahmedabad. Tajikistan won the match 4-2 with the Central Asian nation going on to finish runners-up at the quadrangular invitational tournament.
Mohun Bagan took note of Tursunov's talents and approached him. The 24-year-old eventually signed a contract with the Green and Maroons in the January transfer window. Tursunov scored two goals and bagged two assists in eight matches through their I-League campaign. Mainly deployed on the right flank, the attacker played a crucial role in Mohun Bagan clinching the I-League crown.
Before his exploits in India, Tursunov plied his trade with Tajik clubs Regar-TadAz and FC Istiklol. He scored 26 goals in 88 appearances in the Tajik League and played 5 AFC Cup matches. Tursunov even gave trials at top tier European clubs such as FC Utrecht (Netherlands) and Rosenberg BK (Norway).
What is Kerala Blasters' transfer strategy?
Tiri is primed to join the Kerala Blasters for the upcoming ISL season whereas Bartholomew Ogbeche and Sergio Cidoncha are set to be retained. After parting ways with Eelco Schattorie, the Kerala Blasters showed no indecisiveness in appointing Kibu Vicuna as their new head coach.
While Schattorie complained about not having control over their domestic signings, the same is not expected to happen this time around. With Naorem's loan spell at Mohun Bagan over, he is set to return to Kerala Blasters. Vicuna might also look to acquire a few members from the I-League winning side to help implement his philosophy at Kerala Blasters.
Injuries were a major concern during the recently concluded season for the Kerala Blasters, meaning that they couldn't maintain any sort of consistency in their playing eleven. However, Kibu Vicuna's long-time assistant Paulius Ragauskas will be joining the ISL side as their physical trainer and should ideally address the issue.
