Kolkata : East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, 2 arch rivals, and historic clubs of Bengal have yet again proved themselves in transfer market, grabbing 2 footballers with record transfer fee players.
East Bengal buy Jay Gupta for ₹1.6 cr –
East Bengal made significant signings like Bipin Singh, Edmund Lalrindika, Kevin Sibille, Martand Raina, Ramsanga Tlaichhun, etc recently but they shocked the transfer market roping in Jay Gupta from FC Goa on record ₹1.6 cr and 3+1 year deal.
The Pune born left back defender Jay Gupta started his career as centre-back, training for 2 years at FC Pune City before heading to Portugal and gained valuable exposure at clubs like GDS Cascais and Estoril Praia B, and also had a stint at Ebre Escola in Spain. In August 2023, he returned to India to sign with FC Goa.
He made his India senior debut in Kolkata against Kuwait in June 2024. Jay Gupta is highly rated for bringing versatility in the lineup , capable of playing left-back or left-sided centre-back.
In the ISL till now, Gupta has made 42 appearances, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists for FC Goa over two seasons.
ISL 2024-25 was yet another failure for East Bengal as they finished at number 9 in points table. Therefore, they’re making major signings including that of Jay Gupta to fill up the missing pieces in the puzzle.
Abhishek Singh Tekcham joins Mohun Bagan Super Giants –
Mohun Bagan has completed the signing of Abhishek Singh Tekcham from Punjab FC on a 3 year deal, with record the transfer fee of ₹1.8 crore.
Abhishek, who had a year left on his contract, attracted interest from three Indian Super League (ISL) clubs — East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and FC Goa. However, as his transfer value crossed Rs 6 crore amid a bidding war, East Bengal withdrew, followed by FC Goa.
Mohun Bagan on other hand parted ways with Ashique Kuruniyan created a position for left wing Abhishek.
The youngster made 22 appearances for Punjab FC in the 2024–25 ISL season, primarily as a full-back. He created eight chances and stood out for his energetic flank runs and defensive solidity, winning 86 duels and eight aerial battles. His impressive form earned him a senior India call-up under coach Manolo Marquez.
Abhishek made his Indian senior team debut in March against the Maldives, contributing to a 3–0 win.
The deal will see Mohun Bagan pay a transfer fee of around ₹1.8 crore to Punjab FC. Singh is set to sign a three-year contract with an option to extend, earning an average of ₹2.1 crore annually for the first three seasons—excluding performance bonuses.
The Mariners also roped in Kiyan Nassiri recently as he’s set to return to the club. They’re also close to sign Brazilian Robson Robinho. Mohun Bagan, the ISL 2024-25 winner will look to defend their title with these changes in squad.
