East Bengal stars in talks with NorthEast United

The duo were two of the most exciting Indian players for the Red and Gold last season.

Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC are in talks to sign East Bengal duo Laldanmawia Ralte and Lalramchullova. Khel Now understands that the duo from Mizoram are open to signing a deal with the Guwahati-based ISL outfit.

Both Laldanmawia and Lalramchullova have been stalwarts for East Bengal since joining the club back in 2017. They were exceptional for the Red and Gold Brigade, who finished as runners-up last season in the I-League under the tutelage of Spanish tactician Alejandro Menendez.

Lalramchullova was earlier linked with ISL outfit Chennaiyin FC after his impressive performances in different positions at the back. However, the deal did not materialize for the 24-year-old left-back. Laldanmawia, on the other hand, was a part of the creative nucleus for East Bengal last season, having scored eight goals and assisted thrice in the league and was undoubtedly one of the best Indian players last term.

Both the players have been consistent performers for East Bengal and were exceptional in both the derbies against Mohun Bagan, as the Red and Gold did a double over their rivals last campaign.

Lalramchullova is resilient and adapts himself to the situation and the position he plays in, while Laldanmawia Ralte is someone who likes to get in behind defenders and has a knack for creating chances in the final third in crunch fixtures.

The main highlight of their career was during their time at Aizawl FC, when they won the I-League title back in the 2016/17 season under the guidance of head coach Khalid Jamil.

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The former Aizawl boss brought the Mizo duo to East Bengal with him and now it is understood that he is playing a crucial role in striking a deal with them for the Highlanders. Jamil was earlier appointed as the assistant coach of NorthEast United and is supposedly assisting the ISL outfit to rope in both players.

If the deal goes through it will be a statement of intent from the Highlanders, who have been largely inactive throughout the transfer window so far. They have also lost several important players like Bartholomew Ogbeche amd Mato Grgic to league rivals. However, with the chance of signing arguably two of the I-League's best domestic players, it remains to be seen how the outfit perform in the transfer market ahead of the new campaign.