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After a year and a half of stay on loan at the club, Mumbai City FC have acquired the services of Vinit Rai on a permanent deal, making the announcement in a press release on Saturday, June 24. The new one-year contract will keep the 25-year-old at the club till the end of the 2023-24 season.
With Vinit going out of contract at the end of the 2022-23 season, there had been many rumors linking him away from the Islanders. Ultimately, he decided to extend his stay with the club after a historic season.
On his signing, the midfield maestro said:
“I am thrilled to extend my journey with Mumbai City for another year. The learning and experiences I’ve had in my time here have helped me grow a lot. Coach Des, his staff and everyone here has supported me wholeheartedly and I am determined to help the club achieve success just like we did last season."
"I feel privileged to be part of this remarkable team and I’m ready to continue working hard for this badge and our fans,” Vinit Rai further said.
"Look forward to him contributing even more" - Des Buckingham on Vinit Rai extending his stay at Mumbai City FC
For long now, Vinit Rai has established himself as one of the most sought-after midfield talents in the country. The Tata Football Academy product started his Indian Super League (ISL) career in 2016 and has so far made 90 league games, featuring for Kerala Blasters, now defunct Delhi Dynamos, and Odisha FC before joining the Islanders.
During his time with the Juggernauts, Vinit truly came into his own and caught the eye of the top dogs. He joined Mumbai in January 2022 on loan from Odisha and made 14 appearances for the club across all competitions. Rai was also part of the Islanders' historic 2022 AFC Champions League campaign.
After the conclusion of the six-month spell, the midfielder spent another year on loan at the club. In the previous season, where Mumbai paraded through to the record-breaking ISL Shield victory, Vinit featured 11 times and scored two spectacular goals against Chennaiyin FC and NorthEast United FC.
MCFC head coach Des Buckingham was elated by the extension and exclaimed:
“Vinit has shown his qualities with us over the past two seasons and will be an important player for us going into next season. He has been patient and worked extremely hard and learned how we want him to play and is an extremely positive player in our environment."
"I am very happy that Vinit will continue his development with us for another season and look forward to him contributing even more as we look towards an exciting campaign.”
Mumbai City FC will now be hoping for Vinit Rai to further excel at the club during this one-year spell and push them to another title charge.
