‘Swap Deal’ between ATK Mohun Bagan FC and Kerala Blasters FC under doubt
ATK Mohun Bagan FC has refused to pay Kerala Blasters FC for the transfer of Nongdamba Naorem and the Kolkata-based club is in the process of canceling Subha Ghosh’s transfer as the young forward was meant to go the other way in the swap deal.
Nongdamba Naorem has been diagnosed with an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear that is bound to rule him out for the rest of the season. The left-sided midfielder would have to go under the knife and would require surgery before getting on the field again.
ATK Mohun Bagan is blaming Kerala Blasters for hiding the injury as they knew that the Yellow Army were the benefactors in the swap deal. According to the original transfer deal, the Blasters were supposed to sign Subha Ghosh, a fit and energetic forward with a contract till 2023 while Naorem’s loan duration was till the end of the ongoing Indian Super League season.
Antonio Lopez Habas, the ATK Mohun Bagan FC manager was very keen on bringing in a left-sided midfielder in Nongdamba Naorem after losing Michael Soosairaj to an ankle rupture in the season opener against Kerala Blasters FC back in November. Naorem has a contract with the Blasters that lasts till the end of the 2020-21 ISL season and the 20-year old would have been free to negotiate and deal with any club at the end of the season.
The Kolkata-based club has rejected the transfer of Subha Ghosh to Kerala Blasters FC in the Centralised Registration System (CRS) and this move from the club is certainly going to sore relations between two of the most followed football clubs in the country.
Parimatch News reached out to Kerala Blasters FC for an official statement from the club regarding the controversy and the club official said
“That’s a baseless allegation. The club is talking to ATK Mohun Bagan and we are hoping for a resolution very soon.”
We have seen many controversies regarding club officials and corruption in Indian football in the recent past but this situation involves the futures of two footballers and one of them is fit and raring to play for his new club.
