In a turn of events ahead of the January transfer deadline, Nikhil Poojary seems set to sign for Mumbai City FC. East Bengal were reportedly leading the chase for the defender, but have now been overtaken by the Islanders.
The Hyderabad FC player was expected to be loaned out for the remainder of the season as they sorted their financial issues out. Even though they seem to have finalised their new investors, the club will need time to get back on their feet. And as a result, they have begun offloading players who were frustrated over unpaid wages.
Nikhil Poojary to sign for Mumbai City FC from Hyderabad FCÂ
Although Mumbai City are now seemingly leading the race to sign the player, the deal is not done by any means. Bengaluru FC are also one of the teams that has made an offer, and the transfer race is still quite open.
However, the only thing that’s certain is that Poojary will decide where to go within the next 24 hours. If he does make the move to City, he will be competing with Valpuia, one of the young right-backs at the club who was expected to grow into the first team.Â
Nikhil Poojary featured for the Indian national team at the AFC Asian Cup 2023, but was unable to provide a major impact during his time on the field. For East Bengal, he would have been a direct replacement for the injured club captain, Harmanjot Khabra. But if they can’t get a deal over the line, they will have to continue with young defender Mohamad Rakip.Â
