MARGAO, Feb 7: Winger Lallianzuala Chhangte feels he gave wings to his career by completing a six-month loan deal from Chennaiyin FC to “best choice” Mumbai City FC in a unique move during the winter transfer window.
There was drama as Chhangte, who is in his final year of contract with former Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC, had to wait until the final day of the transfer window to learn about his future.
“I thought a lot about making this move and I’ve been discussing it with my family and my agent. I believe this was the answer to my prayers because I wasn’t sure if this move would go through, but on the final day of the transfer window, I heard the good news that the club had allowed me to go.
“I want to thank Chennaiyin FC and of course my new club Mumbai City FC for making this possible,” Chhangte said.
Both Mumbai City and Chennaiyin have played smartly while negotiating the deal. Chennaiyin did not risk losing the player for free when his contract expires in the summer as Mumbai City are paying Chennaiyin a loan fee reportedly to be around Rs 1.2 crore. Interestingly, this transfer helped both the clubs utilise the loan system, fees of which is not counted in the ISL salary cap of Rs 16.5 crore. (PTI)
