Football
ISL: Bengaluru FC close to signing ATK Mohun Bagan's Jayesh Rane
Bengaluru FC are close to agreeing a deal for ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Jayesh Rane once his contract expires in May.
Jayesh Rane during the ISL 2020-21 season (Source: ISL)
Bengaluru FC are making rapid moves in the transfer market.Mulitple reports are suggesting that they are close to signing Jayesh Rane from ATK Mohun Bagan. The combative midfielder announced his departure from his ATK-Mohun Bagan on his personal social media handles, and looks like will be joining the Blues before their AFC Cup campaign begins.
The Blues had a difficult Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 campaign. They finished 7th in the league and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since their debut season back in 2016. With just five wins out of 20, the team performed well below their ability due to which head coach Carles Cuadrat departed in the middle of the season. However, interim manager Naushad Moosa couldn't inspire much confidence either, as they looked visibly jaded and out of ideas during important situations in games.
They have since brought in Marco Pezzaiuoli as the new head coach and he seems to have identified his targets pretty quickly. Jayesh can be a shrewd buy for Bengaluru who needs midfield reinforcements. The 28-year-old has been one of Antonio Habas' trusted men for close to four years now and is an all-action midfield operator, exactly something that Bengaluru needs. Having played a supporting role last season, he would also be looking for more game-time which is why this sounds like a win-win deal for both parties. Reportedly, SC East Bengal and NorthEast United were also in the running for the midfielder's signature who can put a shift in on the wings too if required.
Bengaluru FC has started their rebuild, and in the space of two days, they announced the departure of multiple key players from the club. Rahul Bhekke, Harmanjot Khabra, Dimas Delgado, and Semboi Haokip were some of them amongst the names. After a series of departures, the team from Karnataka is expected to announce new signings soon, as the transfer window is now officially open.
