I-League: Rangdajied United to loan Gouramangi, Subrata and three more IMG-R players

Shillong’s Rangdajied United will become the second I-League club after Mohammedan Sporting to loan players from IMG-Reliance as they are set to sign five players including Gouramangi Singh and Subrata Pal, Sportskeeda can confirm.

Both Gouramangi and Subrata were on trials at Danish top tier outfit FC Vestsjaelland but the three-week stint ended at the weekend and now the duo will be returning to India with Rangdajied United likely to be their next club.

The three other players are striker Manandeep Singh, defender Sandesh Jhingan and midfielder Tomba Singh and Sportskeeda learnt that few other I-League clubs are also in talks with IMG-R to loan players.

Manandeep is already training with Rangdajied United in Shillong and has been reunited with his former Air India coach Santosh Kashyap.

The addition of these five players could change the complexion of the I-League relegation battle as until now Rangdajied possibly had the weakest squad on paper and thus were the favourites to go down in their debut season. They have picked only three points from eight matches but now should be able to improve their position in the table.

Rangdajied’s all five IMG-R loanees could be available for the Shillong derby against Lajong on November 22.

This development also comes as a big boost for the five players especially the likes of Gouramangi, Subrata and Sandesh as they were dropped from the Indian national team because they didn’t have an I-League club.

Earlier Mohammedan Sporting had gone against the stand of IPFCA (Indian Professional Football Clubs Association) and loaned five players from IMG-R – Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Syed Rahim Nabi, Ishfaq Ahmed, Manish Maithani and Luis Barreto.

IPFCA, who have opposed IMG-R’s proposed Indian Super League, are publicly fine with clubs signing former Arrows players, who were training at the IMG-R camp, something which Dempo and Mohun Bagan have already done but the I-League clubs’ body are against the idea of signing IMG-R contracted players.

It remains to be seen which other I-League clubs follow in the footsteps of Mohammedan Sporting and Rangdajied United in breaking this deadlock with AIFF’s commercial and marketing partners.