Chennaiyin FC set to sign Deepak Devrani on multi-year deal

The 28-year-old made 14 appearances in I-League 2020-21 as Gokulam Kerala won the title.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Chennaiyin FC are all set to complete the signing of Deepak Devrani, Khel Now can confirm. The defender will sign a multi-year deal that will see him remain with the club beyond the forthcoming 2021-22 season.

"Deepak Devrani will sign with Chennaiyin FC. It's going to be a one year deal with an option to extend it by another year, if needed. He had offers from as many as four ISL clubs, but chose Chennaiyin in the end, giving prime importance to minutes on the pitch," a source close to the developments informed Khel Now. We also understand that the player secured the release from his previous club Gokulam Kerala by paying an undisclosed fee. He originally had one more year left with the Malabarians.

Deepak Devrani's career

After spending the earliest years of his career at Chandigarh Football Academy, East Bengal and Pailan Arrows, Deepak Devrani joined Sporting Clube de Goa in 2013. A year later, he signed with FC Pune City in the ISL, but moved to Mohun Bagan on a short-term loan deal.

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The centre-back won his maiden I-League title with Mohun Bagan in 2015. He stayed on for another season before shifting base to Minerva Punjab. At Punjab, he won the league once again in the 2017-18 season.

Devrani joined TRAU FC in 2019 and featured for the Imphal outfit in the 2019-20 edition of the league. He then left for Gokulam Kerala last summer, eventually winning his third I-League title with the Malabarians in March 2021. Overall, he is an experienced campaigner as far as the I-League is concerned - with 74 appearances.

In the 2020-21 season, the 28-year-old made 14 appearances in the league and notched four assists. Two of those assists came in a 4-3 win against RoundGlass Punjab, where GKFC came from behind to register their first win of the season.

In an exclusive interview with Khel Now, Deepak Devrani had recently expressed his desire to play in the Indian Super League. "Having won the I-League thrice and proven my abilities already, I strongly believe that I am ready for the next stage. Hence, I am open to a move to the ISL," he had said. It now seems that his wish is set to be fulfilled, as the defender is close to signing on the dotted line with Chennaiyin FC.

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Chennaiyin FC's pre-season preparations

One of the most successful teams in the ISL, Chennaiyin FC have lately had a rough patch. The Marina Machans reached the final in the 2019-20 season, but followed that up with a poor eighth place finish in 2020-21.

Later, they also parted ways with their then-Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Amoy Ghoshal and then head coach Csaba Laszlo. The two-time league champions are currently on the hunt for Laszlo's replacement, having interviewed several high-profile names.

Additionally, the club have also signed the likes of Narayan Das and Salam Ranjan Singh, while Deepak Tangri shifted base to ATK Mohun Bagan. Chennaiyin have also handed contract extensions to Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Rahim Ali, Reagan Singh and Brazilian midfielder Rafael Crivellaro.

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