Is Kerala Blasters midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad joining Mohun Bagan Super Giants?
Since catching the eyes of the club's reserve team scouts with his performances in the 2017 Santosh Trophy, Sahal Abdul Samad has steadily stitched himself into Kerala Blasters FC's fabrics. He became the flagbearer of everything the club represented over five years and unsurprisingly a fan favorite.
However, devoid of silverware and extended spells playing out of position might have finally uprooted the bond between the Blasters and Sahal. Multiple reports have linked the creative midfielder away from the club. His preferable destination?
Well, there are not many clubs that can afford a high-profile signing of that sort so the options are few. As things stand, the 26-year-old is on his way to Mohun Bagan Super Giants.
All details about Sahal Abdul Samad's possible transfer to Mohun Bagan SG
The first of the many reports that declared the deal as close to being completed came from the sports news website IFTWC on Sunday, July 9.
"Sahal Abdul Samad is close to completing a record-breaking move to Mohun Bagan from Kerala Blasters for a transfer fee close to [Rs.] 2.5 crore," their report said.
Given the cited transfer fee, Sahal is expected to be one of the costliest signings in the history of the Indian Super League. He has been a crucial player for the Yellow Army, making 97 appearances for the senior team, scoring 10 goals, and providing nine assists.
The report further underlined that although Mohun Bagan are the frontrunner currently, the deal is not yet complete and has a few caveats. Firstly, for the Kolkata giants to secure the midfielder's services, a player exchange deal should go through between the two clubs.
On the other hand, there's another club that is heavily interested in acquiring Sahal's services.
Meanwhile, TOI's Marcus Mergulhao, confirmed that if Sahal is to join the Mariners, their club captain Pritam Kotal will head to Kerala Blasters. This is the player exchange deal involved that the two sides are trying to negotiate.
However, Mergulhao underlined that an "unexpected hurdle" had cropped up and both sides would need to show maturity to finalize the deal.
Looking at both reports, it can be denounced that the Sahal Abdul Samad transfer saga is nearing its end but don't rule out any final episode twists and turns.