Football
Harmanpreet Singh to leave SC East Bengal, close to Bengaluru FC move
19-year-old forward Harmanpreet Singh is set to become the latest name to leave SC East Bengal for greener pastures, which in his case is Bengaluru FC.
Harmanpreet Singh in action for SC East Bengal last season (Source: ISL Media)
SC East Bengal forward Harmanpreet Singh is close to a move to Bengaluru FC, The Bridge can confirm. The 19-year-old attacker's contract with the Kolkata giants expires at the end of this month, following which he is set to join Marco Pezzaiuoli's project down south.
It has also been learnt that a number of other clubs were in for the youngster following a promising 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign where he featured in seven games for the Red and Golds and was a constant nuisance for opposition defenders. However, Bengaluru FC emerged as the most feasible option for the Punjabi lad, especially with the likes of Sunil Chhetri and others to guide him towards becoming a prolific goalscorer.
Although this points towards the positive strides that the Blues are taking towards rebuilding their side after a highly disappointing season, it also means one more talented player leaving the SC East Bengal ranks. The legacy club has been mired in controversy with the club officials and principle investors at loggerheads over the final agreement in the term-sheet. As a result, building the team for next season has stalled and there is a possibility that the club may have to back out of the ISL for the upcoming campaign.
Recent murmurs also suggest that Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) are looking at replacing them with a team from the I-League but that is just hearsay at the moment. However, with the likes of Matti Steinmann departing the club and Bright Enobakhare set to follow suit, Harmanpreet is set to become the latest in a long line of players who are about to leave the club for greener pastures, something that should worry East Bengal fans considering the recent developments.
