Mumbai City FC winger Jackichand Singh is set to move to SC East Bengal on loan for the season, IFTWC can confirm.
Jackichand initially signed for Jamshedpur FC before the commencement of the 2020-21 season. He played 12 matches while assisting three goals for the Red Miners. His form and experience under Sergio Lobera prompted Mumbai City FC to make a move for the winger in the January transfer window. Farukh Choudhary returned to his former club Jamshedpur FC while Jackichand Singh joined the Islanders.
The Manipuri signed for the Islanders till 2023, but he soon found himself on the bench for majority of the season. In 6 matches, he managed to play a total of 181 minutes with Raynier Fernandes and Cy Goddard being preferred ahead of him. The Islanders find themselves with a lot of options in the wings, meaning that Jackichand could have found it difficult to find minutes in the upcoming season as well.
East Bengal officials and Shree Cements were involved in a tussle over the final termsheet, resulting in loss of valuable time in the market. With just a couple of days left for the transfer window to close, SC East Bengal have very less time to build a squad which can challenge for the playoffs. Majority of the signings will come in the form of loan deals, with reports of multiple players moving on loan to the Red and Golds already out.
Jackichand played for East Bengal in the 2017 season of I-League but had a forgettable time. In 7 matches, he played 244 minutes with no goal contributions. His best came under Sergio Lobera at FC Goa, though. In 44 matches, he scored 9 goals and assisted 7, helping FC Goa to qualify for the AFC Champions League by virtue of winning the League Shield in the 2019-20 season.
A loan move to SC East Bengal seems to be the right move for the player and the Kolkata Giants. A successful spell can help Jackichand to back in contention at Mumbai City FC the following season.
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