Indian football transfers: Chennaiyin FC add Lallianzuala Chhangte to their roster
Chennaiyin FC have signed Indian winger Lallianzuala Chhangte ahead of the 2019-20 season of the Indian Super League. The footballer has played for Delhi Dynamos FC since the 2017-18 season, a team which has now shifted bases to Bhubaneswar and been renamed to Odisha FC.
Lallianzuala Chhhangte came up through the ranks of DSK Shivajians' Liverpool International Football Academy in 2014. After a dream debut for the Pune-based side in the 2014-15 U-19 I-League, he got an opportunity to train for a week at Liverpool’s Youth Academy at Kirkby.
After his appearance in the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, he was called up to the national side. Chhangte made his debut for India during the 2015 SAFF Championships against Sri Lanka.
The Mizo played for DSK Shivajians in the 2016-17 I-League. Simultaneously, he was loaned to ISL outfits NorthEast United FC. After moving to Delhi Dynamos FC in 2017-18, he became a regular for his ISL side. The Mizo scored eight goals and provided a few assists during his stay at the national capital.
Chhangte recently represented the ‘Blue Tigers’ in the 2019 Hero Intercontinental Cup. He scored a goal in a 2-5 defeat against North Korea. He is a part of India’s squad for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Oman next week. Till now, Chhangte has played nine matches for the Indian National team. The services of the 22-year-old will give a huge boost to Chennaiyin FC.
Chennaiyin FC had a miserable ISL campaign last season, they finished at the bottom of the points table with just a couple of wins in 18 matches. The Abhishek Bachchan owned side has made many expensive inclusions to the side for the upcoming season including Lucian Goian, Nerijus Valskis and Andre Schembri. The Chennai-based team will be hoping to bring back their glory days with an improved unit.