Mumbai City signs forward Lallianzuala Chhangte on loan from Chennaiyin
Reigning champions Mumbai City has completed the signing of Indian winger Lallianzuala Chhangte on loan from Chennaiyin in a deal that will see him represent the Islanders till the end of 2021-22 Indian Super League season and the following AFC Champions League campaign as well.
The club announced the signing of the 24-year old Indian international and head coach Des Buckingham welcomed him praising his eagerness to learn.
He said,
“At Mumbai City, we have always maintained that we want the best Indian players at our club and Chhangte is one of the best. He has the desire to learn, the ability on the pitch, and all the qualities we look for in a Mumbai City player but more importantly, he’s humble and has a good head on his shoulders.”
The former Wellington Pheonix manager also discussed how the energetic forward brings a new dimension to the Islanders attack which has failed to fire in the last few matches.
The Englishman said,
“We believe that he can bring a new dimension to the way we attack and I am sure that Chhangte can help us immensely in our targets for the rest of the season. We look forward to having him in our group at Mumbai City.”
After starting his career with DSK Shivajians and a brief loan spell with NorthEast United, Chhangte joined Delhi Dynamos where he plied his trade for a couple of seasons. The youngster scored 8 goals and provided 5 assists in two seasons establishing himself as a regular feature in the team’s starting XI.
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The 24-year-old forward has been a crucial part of the Marina Machans setup since the start of the 2019-20 ISL season scoring 12 goals and providing 5 assists as well. In his stay with the Chennai-based club for more than two years, the Mizoram-born forward was part of a crucial season where Chennaiyin reached the ISL final but fell at the last hurdle losing 3-1 to ATK.
The Indian international forward feels that joining the reigning champions is a proud moment for him and vowed to bring success to the Islanders ahead of a crucial period.
Chhangte said,
“It’s a proud moment for me to arrive at Mumbai City where the ambition is to compete at the highest levels. Throughout my career, I have pushed myself to become better. I want to keep working hard and I want to help to bring success for the club and for the incredible fans of Mumbai City.”
Chhangte also discussed how is looking to learn from his new head coach Des Buckingham and also thanked Chennaiyin for the support so far.
The 24-year old forward continued,
“Moreover, I’m excited to start working under the coach Des Buckingham and his staff. I’ve spoken to the coach and he has put his faith in me to be a part of the plans he has for the team. I want to express my thanks to Chennaiyin FC for all their support, and I can’t wait to get started with my new family.”
The Islanders have endured a tough period marred by patchy form as they have failed to win any of their matches since the 1-0 win against Chennaiyin on December 15. With major signings like Deigo Mauricio, Ravi Kumar, and Chhangte, Buckingham is plotting for a move to the top four of the league standings.