Gokulam Kerala set to sign Sreekuttan VS on loan from Kerala Blasters

The 23-year-old featured for KBFC in KPL 2020-21 and Durand Cup 2021.

I-League defending champions Gokulam Kerala have agreed terms with Kerala Blasters for a loan move of Sreekuttan VS, Khel Now can confirm. The player has also agreed personal terms with the Malabarians and is all set to join them ahead of their upcoming 2021-22 campaign.

“Kerala Blasters have agreed to loan Sreekuttan VS to Gokulam Kerala. He will join GKFC on a short-term deal, and will be a part of their I-League squad for the 2021-22 season. If all goes well, he will also feature in their upcoming AFC Cup 2022 campaign,” sources close to the developments informed Khel Now on Wednesday.

They further added, “Sreekuttan will join the Gokulam Kerala camp in the upcoming days. GKFC are positive that he’ll make a good impact.”

“He did reasonably well for Kerala Blasters in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 pre-season and also made a few appearances in Durand Cup 2021. In spite of his performances, he couldn’t make the cut to their ISL squad. That forced him to return to the KBFC Reserves Team, who have only a limited number of matches coming up this season. For any player, it is important for them to keep playing continuously irrespective of the level he plays at. This was why Sreekuttan was open to a loan move,” the player’s camp informed us.

About the player

Prior to his stint with Kerala Blasters, Sreekuttan VS played for FC Kerala and ARA FC. He featured in the Second Division League with FC Kerala in the 2019-20 season, before joining ARA and making four appearances in the I-League Qualifiers 2020. After signing with Kerala Blasters, the 23-year-old played for their Reserves Team in Kerala Premier League 2020-21.

The KBFC second-string team did not enjoy a good KPL, as they finished fourth in Group B with just one win from five games. Regardless, Sreekuttan created and finished chances at will, and subsequently earned a place in Khel Now’s KPL 2020-21 Team of the Season.

During the summer, the winger, who is also a former Santosh Trophy winner, got selected to the Blasters’ pre-season squad. He went on to make a handful of appearances in their pre-season friendlies and also in the Durand Cup.

Gokulam Kerala’s pre-season preparations

The Malabarians took part in Durand Cup 2021 and IFA Shield 2021 as part of their I-League pre-season preparations. In the Durand Cup, they qualified for the knockout stages from Group D which also featured Army Red, Hyderabad FC and Assam Rifles. However, Mohammedan SC eliminated them from the competition, beating them 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

In the IFA Shield, GKFC progressed till the semi-finals.

Led by head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese, Gokulam Kerala have already made a host of new signings. Rahim Osumanu, Elvis Chikatara and Aminou Bouba complete their foreign contingent alongside captain Sharif Mukhammad. Muhammed Uvais, Rakshit Dagar, Deepak Singh, Krishnananda Singh and others are some of their new domestic recruits.

Apart from Sreekuttan VS, they have also agreed terms with another member of KBFC’s pre-season squad in Shahajas Thekkan. Gokulam Kerala can register both of them only in the upcoming January window. As a result, they will be unavailable for GKFC’s I-League matches in December – against Churchill Brothers and NEROCA FC on December 26 and 30, respectively.

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