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In an attempt to replenish their squad after finishing bottom of the Indian Super League 2021-22 standings, East Bengal signed Ivan Gonzalez from FC Goa on a pre-contract for a two-year spell.
The Kolkata giants announced their marquee signing on Thursday in a press release.
The club stated:
"32-year-old Gonzalez has signed a pre-contract with East Bengal on a two-year deal."
The Spaniard has been a mainstay in the Gaurs' defense since signing with the club in 2020. He has played 36 matches over the last two seasons and has been a vital cog in FC Goa's defense.
Although the Goa-based club had a poor outing last season, finishing a lowly ninth, Gonzalez still held his own in the backline alongside some young Indian centre-back partners. The Real Madrid graduate also showed his prowess going forward, registering three goals and two assists in the same period.
The Madrid-born defender has played for multiple premier clubs throughout his illustrious career.
He was part of the Real Madrid C team in his early years and then made his way to Spanish clubs like Cultural Leonesa, Racing Ferrol, UB Conquense and Deportivo B. With prior experience in the Indian top-division, Ivan is expected to have a heavy presence on the field as well as off it.
East Bengal's team rebuild continues in full flow ahead of ISL 2022-23 season
This is East Bengal's first signing after the Red and Gold Brigade announced that their principal investor for the last two seasons, Shree Cement Ltd., had pulled out and returned the sporting rights.
The Hari Mohan Bangur-owned cement conglomerate bought a 76 percent stake in the Red and Gold Brigade in 2020. A joint venture called Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation was formed. However, the period of the partnership was tumultuous, with on-field and off-field struggles constantly plaguing the Torchbearers.
The Kolkata-based club are now in the hunt for a new investor ahead of the upcoming ISL season. Ivan Gonzalez's signing shows that the club is eager to tick all the right boxes this time around during the team-building phase. Meanwhile, they have also reportedly been scouting local talent and have even signed some of them on pre-contracts.
