ISL Transfers: Jamshedpur FC sign Atletico Madrid ‘B’ striker Sergio Castel
Indian Super League club Jamshedpur FC have completed the signing of young Spanish striker Sergio Castel from Atletico Madrid’s reserve side. The 24-year-old player will be joining the club for the upcoming 2019-20 season.
Castel showed great form last season for Spain’s Segunda Division B club Union Deportivo San Sebastian de los Reyes (SS Reyes) where he scored 13 goals, which helped them to finish in the eighth position. He made 34 appearances for the club and was one of the consistent players in the side. Impressed by the performance, Atletico Madrid signed them for their ‘B’ team.
Castel began his professional career with Atletico Osasuna B but was immediately loaned out to Segunda Divison ‘B’ side CD Tudelano in the same season. After that, he played for CD Lealtad, Las Rojas CF.
The youngster also has the experience of playing in Asian soil. This will be his third adventure on foreign shores. In 2015, Australian club FC Bendigo signed him on a season-long loan. From Bendigo, he signed for Vietnamese League 1 club Thang Quang Ninh FC.
Castel returned to his country in 2017 where he joined AD Alcorcon B and then moved to SS Reyes.
“I am delighted to play for Jamshedpur, which one of the top clubs in India with a massive fan following. The ISL is a competitive league and I look forward to the opportunity of playing in this beautiful city. Moreover, I am excited to play under a highly experienced coach like Antonio Iriondo,” Castel said on the club website.
Coach Antonio Iriondo is also excited to bring a talented forward like Castel in his club. He said, “In Sergio Castel, we have signed a forward who is quick, strong and a constant threat for the opposition. He is young and a positive influence off the field and complements our other foreign and Indian players.”
Castel is set to be the sixth foreigner for Jamshedpur who have retained captain Tiri Espinosa & midfielder Memo and have signed Spaniards Noe Acosta, Aitor Monroy, and Piti.
The last two seasons have been disappointing for Jamshedpur who finished just outside the top-four teams. They have drawn many games last season due to the failure of their strikers. Looking at their recent signing, it seems the club management don't want to leave any stone unturned before the beginning of the new season.