Bengaluru FC sign veteran full-back Jessel Carneiro from arch-rivals Kerala Blasters FC - reports

Bengaluru FC have acquired the services of former Kerala Blasters FC skipper Jessel Carneiro on a two-year contract, according to a news report on Wednesday, April 26.

The left-back's current contract with the Blasters is slated to end next month and there have been talks of him extending his stay at the club. However, the Times of India reported that Carneiro had accepted an offer from their arch-rivals Bengaluru FC.

Jessel Carneiro, who was born in Goa and rose through the ranks of local side Dempo SC, will bring significant experience to the Blues' defensive system.

The 32-year-old played for Dempo in two separate stints, with a loan spell at Pune FC in between. He also captained the Goan football team to a semi-final finish in the 2018-19 Santosh Trophy.

The Curtorim-born full-back made his debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) with the Blasters in 2019 and quickly established himself as a regular in the starting line-up, playing every minute of his debut season.

Carneiro's performances earned him a contract extension and promotion to vice-captain. He eventually went on to captain the side in the 2020-21 season following Sergio Cidoncha's injury and was appointed permanent captain before the 2021-22 season.

The veteran full-back, who missed out on playing in the recently concluded Hero Super Cup due to injury, was a reliable servant for the Yellow Army and made 63 appearances for the club during his time.

His final match for the Blasters was against his new suitors Bengaluru FC in the controversial ISL 2022-23 Eliminator, where Kerala Blasters decided to walk off in protest following an early free-kick that led to them conceding.

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Bengaluru FC looking to add depth to their slim defensive options

The Blues have shown all the signs of once again becoming one of the top dogs in the Indian Super League and for them to maintain their consistency, they'll need some effective reinforcement. The signing of Jessel Carneiro shows that Simon Grayson has realized the minor gaps that he needs to fill in this team.

Bengaluru FC have been shifting between a four-back and a five-back system, and they have been a little tight on genuine full-back options.

Namgyal Bhutia is still relatively young, while Parag Shrivas is not the most exciting prospect in guarding the flanks. Hence, having Carneiro gives a steady fallback option if Naorem Roshan Singh is slightly out of touch or nursing a niggle.