Kolkata: In what has to be the biggest news of the Indian transfer window so far, Kolkata giants, East Bengal have officially roped in former Mohun Bagan captain and Japanese winger Katsumi Yusa.
The golden haired Japanese who is one of the best overseas player to play in the country, had last year only played for arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in the I-League, but was released after putting up below-par performance in the I -League.
The 29-year old is definitely the biggest signing of the season so far in the Indian transfer window. He is set to join the likes of Mahmoud Al Amnah, Carlyle Mitchell and Willis Plaza as the fourth overseas signing of the club.
Born in Fukushima in Japan, the former Bagan player, started his career with the Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. making debut for the club’s senior team in 2007. He was however loaned out to another Japanese club Zweigen Kanazawa after one season with the senior team.
The pacy winger has also played in the ISL club NorthEast United in ISL 2016, making 14 appearances for the team scoring one goal.
Yusa, who was a fan favorite during his stay at Mohun Bagan, reportedly made the shock move to it’s arch rivals after being released by the Mariners.
Earlier, Mohun Bagan had confirmed that they will not return any foreigner for the season other than Sony Norde. Staying true to their words Bagan had released Katsumi, Duffy and Eduardo after the previous season had ended. They also signed up star player Sony Norde for a reported 2.1 crore rupees after the Haitian had refused to sign a deal with the ISL outfit Mumbai City FC.
Having joined the Green and Maroon brigade in 2013, Katsumi was an integral part of the Bagan setup under coach Sanjoy Sen and had also played an important role in the I-League truimph in the 2014-15 season. He had also been part of the Mohun Bagan team that won the Federation Cup in 2015 and came runner-up in 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons in the I-League.
The former I-League winner’s addition will definitely boost the East Bengal setup, which already has some of the best players of the country in their ranks. With Katsumi, Jamil not only have an experienced and attacking winger, but also a champion player who has seen the best of times during his tenure with the Mariners.
Meanwhile, with the signing of the midfielder East Bengal have now completed their quota of Asian players. With the I-League starting in the month of November, fans will look forward to see the Japanese get back to action this time in the Red and Gold shirt.