Chennaiyin FC have succeeded in getting a new deal over the line for their club captain Anirudh Thapa, as the 24-year old is set to don the blue for the next 2 seasons in the Indian Super League.
ATK Mohun Bagan and Odisha FC showed genuine interest in a move for Thapa, offering large sums of money. Signing for either of the teams would have made him the highest-paid Indian footballer. However, the man from Dehradun decided to continue at his boyhood club despite a disappointing season.
Thapa joined Chennaiyin FC in 2016 and has been there ever since, playing on loan for Minerva Punjab for the 2017 season of the I-League. Widely regarded as the poster boy for the Chennai-based club, the midfielder has racked up 86 appearances for his team in the league, scoring 6 goals.
Ahead of the 2021/22 ISL campaign, it was revealed that Anirudh would captain the side for the season after Rafael Crivellaro was ruled out due to injury.
Despite a good start to the season for both the skipper and his team where they showed some solid defensive displays, things quickly worsened as teams capitalized on their reluctance to go forward. They are currently sitting at the 8th position in the table, 8 points off the playoff spots.
The contract renewal is a massive boost for the Marina Machans as they will look to build a team around their talisman for the next couple of seasons.
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