SC East Bengal set to sign veteran goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury

The 34-year-old will pen an 18-month long contract with the Red and Gold.

SC East Bengal are all set to rope in veteran Indian goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury from NorthEast United on an 18-month long deal, Khel Now understands. 

“Subhasish Roy Chowdhury is set to sign for East Bengal. The goalkeeper is close to agreeing a mutual termination of his contract with current club NorthEast United,” a source close to the developments told Khel Now.

The Red and Gold have already released several players on loan to I-League clubs, as they are keen to bring in some reinforcements in the January transfer window after a drab start to life in the Indian Super League. Robbie Fowler's men are currently in 10th position on the league table, with only three points from seven matches and no wins to their credit. 

Therefore, Fowler has made a shortlist of players that East Bengal can bring in to strengthen their ranks and veteran custodian Subhasish Roy Chowdhury is one of the top players on their wishlist. Hailing from West Bengal, he has been a seasoned campaigner in the ISL. With Rafique Ali Sardar set to leave on loan, Subhasish will be a top addition for SC East Bengal. 

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The 34-year old goalkeeper is a Tata Football Academy graduate and has represented clubs like Mahindra United and Dempo SC previously. He has also had multiple spells with the Red and Gold earlier in the I-League, with the latest being in the 2016-17 season. 

In his ISL career, Roy Chowdhury has played for several clubs starting from ATK, with whom he won the title in the league's inaugural season under the tutelage of Antonio Lopez Habas. He then had stints with Delhi Dynamos, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters before joining NorthEast United ahead of the last campaign. He was the first-choice custodian at the club from the start under former head coach Robert Jarni and he backed it up with some tremendous performances under the bar for the Highlanders. 

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However, this season, the tables have turned as current boss Gerard Nus seems to prefer young custodian Gurmeet Singh. Although the shot-stopper started the campaign, currently, he is being overshadowed and therefore a move elsewhere makes sense. 

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Moreover, It is understood that the Red and Gold Brigade have released goalkeeper Rafique Ali on loan to Mohammedan SC and with Sankar Roy getting injured, Subhasish was one of the players that became a top priority for the club. They are also closing in on a move to sign former ATK Mohun Bagan full-back Ankit Mukherjee and will look to add a few more players to strengthen their ranks for the remainder of the season. 

Overall, it will be tough for Subhasish Roy Chowdhury to join the club and take up the first spot as Debjit Majumder has been one of the better players for SC East Bengal this season. But, the experience that the former India International will bring to the squad will be invaluable. 

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