Mohun Bagan transfer news: Club sign former FC Porto man as midfield undergoes overhaul

Mohun Bagan are closing in on the signing of Australian defensive midfielder Diogo Ferreira for the Calcutta Football League 2017 as well as the 2017-18 I-League season, according to reports. The Mariners are planning a major reshuffle of their midfield with the capture of Ferreira, who last played at Malaysian club Penang.

The transfer has now been confirmed.

Happy to announce that I have signed at @mohun_baganac in the @ileagueofficial. Looking forward… https://t.co/xHGlppRlxg

— Diogo Ferreira (@dferreira_5) August 11, 2017

The 27-year-old is currently a free agent and upon the completion of his medical, Diogo will be unveiled as a Green and Maroon player.

Ferreira, who is of mixed Australian-Portuguese heritage, started out in Portugal and was part of FC Porto's youth setup before moving to Australia. He has since stayed in the Asia-Oceania region, representing teams like Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory in the A-League and the AFC Champions League.

Although a holding midfielder by trade, Ferreira can also play on the right of midfield, having had spells on that flank as a wide midfielder and a right back in his career. His arrival at Mohun Bagan could signal a big midfield upheaval for the Kolkata giants.

Katsumi out, Kinowaki in?

According to reports in the local media, last season's Mohun Bagan captain, Katsumi Yusa, is set to leave the club. The Mariners have lined up the Japanese midfielder's replacement in his compatriot Yuta Kinowaki. The former Shillong Lajong man had a fine I-League campaign in 2016-17, playing every minute and scoring two goals.

Apart from Katsumi, Indian midfielder Denson Devadas is also set to leave the Mariners because of being a tactical misfit in stand-in coach Shankarlal Chakraborty's plans. Chakraborty has been handed the reins for the upcoming CFL campaign as head coach Sanjoy Sen has taken up a mentor role for the local league.

Shillong Lajong have become the number one selling club in Indian football and Kinowaki becomes another player to use the Meghalaya club as a launchpad to the heights of Kolkata football and the ISL.

Should Katsumi, who played for NorthEast United in the ISL last year, leave the club, it would mean a grand overhaul of the Mariners' midfield. Last season, Katsumi, Sehnaj Singh and Souvik Chakrabarti were the regulars in the Bagan midfield, but with the Indian duo's move to ISL clubs, a new-look midfield with Diogo and Kinowaki at its string-pullers looks to be the way forward for the 2014-15 I-League champions.