KELANTAN SET TO SELL GHADDAR
Lebanese striker is hot property in transfer window
AJITPAL SINGH ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my
LOVE it or hate it, the mid-season transfer window, which opens tomorrow, will be providing unique excitement. Teams in the M-League will be looking to sell, buy, loan or terminate players’ contracts until the June 11 deadline in their bid to bolster their season
This time, foreign signings in the MLeague who were previously barred from switching clubs during the mid-season transfer window, are now allowed to do so.
The new ruling has created excitement for the rich teams as they can pinch top performing foreign players from budgettight clubs.
Kelantan striker Mohammed Ghaddar is now the hottest property in the Super League having scored 18 goals in 12 rounds of matches. The Lebanese has been offered a lucrative offer by a local club, rumoured to be Darul Ta’zim.
His move looks imminent as Kelantan need funds to settle previous seasons’ debts or face the risk of demotion by default by Oct 31.
Darul Ta’zim, the biggest club in the country, need a stronger option in attack. The former AFC Cup winners are likely to release Argentine-Iraqi footballer Brian Ferreira.
Kelantan are also lining up to replace injury-prone Brazilian Alessandro Celin with Gambian Sanna Nyassi while they also have Ugandan Tony Mawejje on trial.
But Kelantan can only sign new players if they make profit from the sale of those in their current squad following a transfer ban imposed recently for not honouring the registration ruling.
Selangor are keen to re-register Indonesian Andik Vermansyah and the midfielder is expected to replace Romanian Viktor
Astafei.
Selangor could take stern action by dropping Liberian signing Forkey Doe who was arrested recently for displaying false number plates on his vehicle. He was fined RM6,000 on May
10 by the magistrate’s court in Petaling Jaya.
The FA of Selangor will decide next week whether to take disciplinary action against him.
“Doe has returned to training. He was fined for using a car that did not belong to him… apparently he did not know.
“However, he has brought bad publicity to Selangor. FAS pro-league and disciplinary committees will decide next week whether to take action,” FAS president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal told Timesport.
PKNS are expected to axe Argentine Lucas Espindola, who is the team’s second highest scorer with five goals, and utility forward Matias Hadwa of Palestine.
Coach E. Elavarasan wants to strengthen his midfield and Portuguese Fabio Ferreira could be the perfect option.
Felda United are likely to drop Argentine striker Gaston Cellerino, who has hardly figured in coach B. Sathianathan’s plans since he took over in February. Sathianathan also wants Argentine Lucas Cano and Lebanese centre-back Mootaz El Jounaidi to buck up and he has given them one final chance against Malacca on May 24 to make an impression.
As for Malacca, Eric Williams’ side are likely to drop underperforming Ghana defender Godwin Antwi and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, who has fired blanks in the league.
Last season’s Premier League top scorer Ilija Spasojevic has been disappointing so far with only three goals. Williams is losing patience and the Montenegro striker’s services could also be terminated. Pahang will axe American-born forward Chinedu Dike, who was hardly used by coach Dollah Salleh, when the transfer window opens.
Dollah has signed former Boca Juniors striker Yamil Romero as a replacement and he will be available against Selangor in a Super League match on May 24.