Pritam Kotal and Sahal Abdul Samad are involved in what could be the biggest ISL transfer so far, as the midfielder joins defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant for a massive 2.5 crore transfer fee as the experienced defender makes his way into the Yellow Army. The 2 times ISL winner will be joining the Blasters on a 3-year deal, whereas Sahal joins the Mariners on a deal of the same duration but with an option to extend for a further couple of years.
Transfer Mantra
Sahal Abdul Samad has been a constant target for the Mariners for a long period. As they look forward to strengthening their squad in the quest for the AFC Cup, Sahal was the obvious choice for the Indian attacking role.
Kerala Blasters on the other hand needed to bring in some experience in their defence. Pritam Kotal brings a huge bag of responsibility and experience to the Kochi-based team.
They need no introduction
Kotal and Sahal need no introduction to Indian Football fans. Both were international teammates and recently helped India win the Intercontinental Cup and 2023 SAFF Championship on home soil.
The 26-year-old Sahal, who is getting married to Reza Farhath yesterday after getting engaged a week earlier, already signed the agreement a couple of days ago. Kotal, 29, put pen to paper today, thereby ending a long suspense regarding the fate of two high-profile Indian footballers. Both clubs, however, are yet to make the development official.
Comments from sources
“In terms of valuation, it is the biggest deal,” a person close to the development told News9 Sports, pointing out that Bagan paid a ₹3 crore transfer fee to Chennaiyin FC for midfielder Anirudh Thapa while Mumbai City shelled out ₹2.5 crore to Hyderabad FC for left back Akash Mishra.
“After signing Anirudh Thapa, Bagan wanted to utilise the Sahal-Thapa combination that has worked so well for the national team.“
“Kerala was wooing Pritam from last year and formally approached him in January.” Pritam will become the highest-paid Indian player in Kerala Blasters.