Komron Tursunov: Who is Mohun Bagan's newest signing?

The 23-year-old was part of the Tajikistan side that participated in the Intercontinental Cup 2019 at Ahmedabad.

A lot has changed at Mohun Bagan since their win against Gokulam Kerala in the I-League. They have now announced the replacement of Salva Chamorro, who failed to impress the Mariners' management after several chances. Tajikistani sensation Komron Tursunov has also joined the club, replacing injured Spanish winger Julen Colinas in the squad. Komron Tursunov is a 23-year-old midfield sensation who can play across multiple positions in attack and has that attacking impetus to be the driving force for Mohun Bagan. The Tajik player can be the ace up Kibu Vicuna's sleeve, with his ability to play as a winger and also as a withdrawan forward. He can also slot in as an attacking midfielder, who can either drift wide or stay central according to the style of play. [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] Tursunov started his career at Tajik outfit Regar- TadAZ in the Tajik League and showed a great hunger to score goals. He scored 12 for the club in all competitions, while netting seven in the league to help the team to a fourth-placed finish in 2015. Tursunov followed up his lightning performance with another 12-goal season and started being the main driving force for the club. Thus, he attracted a lot of interest from all across Asia and even some clubs in Europe. He left Regar TAdAZ to join Istiklol FC in 2018, making 57 appearances and scoring 23 goals in the league over the course of the next three years. The versatile midfielder also managed to bag another 12 goals in those three seasons in the national cup competition.

Life At FC Istiklol

Tursunov had to fight for his place at Istiklol and managed to score only four goals in all competitions in 2018. He followed it up with another underwhelming year, where he scored two goals and his playing minutes started to decrease. In 2018, he received his first national team call-up and featured against Nepal. Since then, he has played 14 matches, scoring four goals for the Tajikistani national team. The current Tajikistan head coach, Usmon Toshev, had been with the U-23 setup for some time and has shown his trust in young players, with Komron Tursunov being one of the most sought-after youngsters. [KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Recent Performance

He earned a lot of plaudits for his performances in the Bangabandhu Cup in Bangladesh, followed by the Intercontinental Cup in India. Komron Tursunov scored against the Philippines in the semi-final of the Bangabandhu Cup, which took his side to the final where they lost against Palestine. A similar feat was repeated in the Intercontinental Cup, where Toshev's men were 0-2 down in the first half against India. But, a spirited performance saw the Persian Lions making a comeback as Tursunov scored a goal and assisted another in a great outing. However, the goal of the tournament came later, when his curler from long range rifled into the back of the net against Syria. However, despite reaching the final of the Intercontinental Cup, Tajikistan lost against DPR Korea.

Technical Aspects

Komron Tursunov is relatively diminutive in comparison to other Tajik players and therefore, has a low centre of gravity. His balance and close-control make him a nightmare for opposition defenders. Although, he may not be the strongest player, his ability to hold up the ball and earn fouls makes him a real threat. Coupled with all other skills, he also has  lightning pace, can operate on the right flank and gradually slot in as a second striker if need be. While his stats suggest that he is a proper goalscorer, he also has the creative aspect to his game, which enables him to drop deep and create openings for his fellow forwards. However, his main prowess is to strike long range curlers. Tursunov has done it against Syria in the Intercontinental Cup and can do it again, as he always looks to be in search of open spaces near the final third. [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | Article Continues Below"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS] Before making the move to Mohun Bagan, the young midfielder had a two-week trial at FC Utrecht in the Netherlands. Utrecht play in the Eredivisie and they were very impressed with Tursunov's all-round ability to score and create. He also attracted interest from Norweigian outfit, Rosenberg BK, who are currently third in the Eliteserien, the premier football league in Norway. However, the deal did not materialize and now he is on his way to India. The Tajikistani international can be a valuable addition to Mohun Bagan, who are playing a fluid possession-based style under Vicuna. Tursunov's young blood, technique and ability to win games single-handedly could turn the tide in his favour.