ISL 2017: FIFA U17 World Cup star Komal Thatal to sign for ATK?
Komal Thatal in action against the USA during the U-17 World Cup
What's the story?
Sikkim-born teenage sensation Komal Thatal could soon feature in ISL 2017 for the first time as he is said to be close to signing a deal with defending champions ATK.
Thatal, who was in the Indian squad for the FIFA U17 World Cup, turned down an offer to play for the Indian Arrows as his interest lies in playing in the Indian Super League.
In case you didn't know
Primarily a winger, Thatal played for India in the U17 World Cup and started in Blue Colts' first match of the tournament against the USA, but was subsequently ignored for the clashes against Colombia and Ghana.
Heart of the Matter
Having failed to make the cut into the starting eleven after the first match against the USA, reports of a possible rift between the teenaged footballer and coach Luis Norton de Matos started doing the rounds.
Now, the winger is said to have flown to Kolkata a few days back, in order to sign a deal with ATK. While a number of the star players from the India U17 squad (Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Aniket Jadhav and many more) have signed for AIFF's pet project the Indian Arrows, Thatal has decided to try his luck in ISL.
What's Next?
Defending champions ATK have endured a dismal season thus far under the guidance of Teddy Sheringham and without a single win from four games, they currently have hit rock-bottom of the points table and will have to bring their A-game to make a move up the ladder.
Author's Take
The 17-year-old Thatal has been a very exciting prospect to watch and his addition to the ATK squad could be a welcome move for them. Although he might not feature in a majority of the matches, his fresh legs could be a boost for the Sourav Ganguly co-owned side, that has struggled so far this season.