ISL: Kerala Blasters rope in goalkeeper Som Kumar on long-term deal
The winner of the best goalkeeper in the SAFF U-20 Championship in 2022, Som Kumar, has been signed by the Kerala Blasters for the new season. The 19-year-old is the first domestic acquisition of the club and he joins the Yellow Army on a four-year contract, which will see him stay at the club till 2028.
Kumar has never 'actually' played in India and this will be his first domestic assignment. The 19-year-old started his footballing journey at the Alchemy International Football Academy and then moved on to Slovenian outfit NK Bravo in 2020. He was initially a part of their U-17 setup but in 2021, he was loaned out to NK Krka for a short period. After his loan period ended, he moved out of NK Bravo on a free transfer to NK Krka.
In 2023, he left his club to join NK Olimpija Ljubljana and was representing their U-19 side before joining Kerala Blasters. After penning his first professional domestic contract, Som Kumar said in a statement released by the club:
"I am excited to join Kerala Blasters and look forward to contributing to the team. This is a great opportunity for me to grow as a player and I am eager to give my best for the club and its passionate fans."
Kumar, who will perhaps not be the first choice but rather the second to Sachin Suresh, is a promising young talent who can be a pretty decent option for the senior Indian national team.
Speaking on Kumar's signing, Kerala Blasters' Sporting Director Karolis Skinkys mentioned:
"Without intention to create any pressure on him, I can positively say that Som is one of the highest potential players in his generation. I'm happy he believed in the Kerala Blasters project and decided to come back from abroad. Som has the right basics of football, a correct mindset and he's very mature for his age. All these points make me believe he can learn daily and have a bright future in KBFC."
Kerala Blasters' preparation for the upcoming ISL season
Having made it to the ISL finals thrice in their history, Kerala Blasters are yet to secure the coveted trophy. Under the tutelage of Ivan Vukomanovic, the Yellow Army showed glimpses of their excellence but could never win the title.
Now, with the departure of the Croatian, Kerala Blasters have brought in Mikael Stahre as their new head coach. The Swedish mentor will have a tough task on his hands since he'll have to bring in new foreign players and get the combination with the rest of the squad right.
Adrian Luna is the only foreign player the club has retained. Other players like Marko Leskovic, Daisuke Sakai, and others have parted ways with the outfit. Notably, as per reports, Dimitrios Diamantakos, who won the ISL Golden Boot last season, has joined fellow ISL outfit East Bengal.