Chennaiyin FC and Nerijus Valskis choose separate paths

Former Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis is moving away from Chennaiyin FC, something that the player revealed on his social media handles.

The Lithuanian forward had a poor run in his second stint for the Marina Machans. Valskis joined the two-time ISL champions in the 2019-20 season and netted 15 goals in 20 appearances, eventually becoming the Golden Boot winner.

He joined Jamshedpur FC the following season, re-uniting with Owen Coyle, his coach at Chennaiyin FC. He scored only 8 goals for the Red Miners in the 2020-21 season.

His form dipped even further in the 2021-22 season. Valskis failed to provide Jamshedpur FC with the required edge upfront, netting only twice in 6 matches before heading back to his former club in the ISL.

With no change in his form, a blunt Marina Machans attack failed to make a positive impact on their season, with their leading man scoring just two goals in 11 matches.

The Lithuanian forward failed to adapt to the system ingrained into the team by former Marina Machans gaffer Bozidar Bandovic and was unable to link up properly with Mirlan Murzaev. A series of goalless matches convinced the management that they would like others to take up the forward's role.

Chennaiyin FC head coach hasn't moved on any foreign recruitment

Newly-appointed head coach Thomas Brdaric has not moved in on any foreign targets for the upcoming season. With the exit of Nerijus Valskis from the squad, it is highly likely that the Marina Machans will look at profiles for all necessary positions when it comes to recruitment of foreign players.

The Marina Machans have had a decent time in the ongoing transfer window. They have gone on to add Akash Sangwan from RoundGlass Punjab FC and Bengal's star midfielder from their Santosh Trophy campaign, Sajal Bag. These additions could make them a potent force next season.