Mohun Bagan sign talented midfielder Brandon Fernandes
Defending I-League champions Mohun Bagan have roped in former Sporting Goa and Mumbai City FC attacking midfielder Brandon Fernandes. The 21-year-old, who has struggled with injuries recently, is considered to be one of the most highly-rated prospects in the nation, and his arrival will definitely add an edge to the Mariners' attack.
"Yes, I have signed a deal with Mohun Bagan and will be arriving in Kolkata on Wednesday evening," Fernandes told Goal.com.
Brandon Fernandes signed for ISL club Mumbai City FC last season for a price of Rs. 12 lakh. But the youngster made only two appearances after struggling with his fitness. Despite his absence, Fernandes attracted a lot of interest from a host of I-League clubs, including Mohun Bagan's arch rivals East Bengal.
The Goan, however, has opted to join the Sabooj-Maroon Brigade for the upcoming I-League season.
This is another big step in the career of the talented midfielder, who spent three years at South African football academy ASD Cape Town. Back in 2013, he had attracted interest, and had trials from big English clubs like Leicester City, Reading and Sunderland, although he failed to receive a contract from any of them. In 2014, he was expected to join French club AS Monaco, but the expected trial did not materialize.
Earlier, Fernandes had stated his lack of interest in playing for an Indian club, as he believed that he was “at a different level”. But recent injuries have curtailed his development, and perhaps he needed to take a step back, in order to get back on track.
Fernandes is unlikely to get into the starting line-up of Mohun Bagan immediately, but he could learn a lot, by training and playing alongside the likes of Sony Norde and Katsumi Yusa.
