Chennaiyin FC set to sign striker Jobby Justin from ATK Mohun Bagan

The 27-year-old could not feature in the ISL last season due to an injury.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Chennaiyin FC are close to completing the signing of Jobby Justin from ATK Mohun Bagan, Khel Now can confirm. The striker will put pen to paper on a multi-year deal at the club.

"Chennaiyin FC have almost wrapped up the signing of Jobby Justin," a source close to the developments informed Khel Now. We also understand that the Marina Machans were not the only team interested in his signature. At least two other ISL clubs have actively pursued him throughout this summer.

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The 27-year-old originally had a year remaining on his contract with ATK Mohun Bagan, which he signed last year. However, the club and he decided to mutually part ways earlier this week, making him available on a free transfer. Now, according to our sources, he will play for Chennaiyin in the forthcoming 2021-22 season.

Jobby Justin's career so far

Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Jobby played for various clubs including Travancore Titanium and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in his earliest years as a professional footballer. He won the Kerala Premier League (KPL) title with KSEB in 2016-17, and shortly afterwards, East Bengal signed him.

The striker went on to feature in 27 matches across two seasons for the Red and Gold Brigade, also scoring 11 goals along the way. ATK then signed him ahead of the 2019-20 season.

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The striker made 10 appearances in his debut ISL season, notching a goal and an assist each. At the end of their campaign, the Kolkata club also lifted the league title. In 2020, following ATK's merger with Mohun Bagan, he signed a brand-new two-year contract with them.

However, luck did not favour Jobby. He could not represent the newly-formed ATK Mohun Bagan in ISL 2020-21 due to an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury. The injury ruled him out for many months and it was not until recent weeks that he returned to training.

At ATKMB, he had never been the first-choice option for head coach Antonio Habas. The presence of in-form attackers like Roy Krishna, David Williams and Manvir Singh so on meant fewer chances for the Kerala-based player. The need for game-time may have forced him to part ways with ATK Mohun Bagan and seek opportunities elsewhere.

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Jobby Justin is also an Indian international, having represented the Blue Tigers on four different occasions to-date. Three of those appearances came in the Intercontinental Cup in 2019.

Chennaiyin FC's pre-season preparations

After a disappointing eighth-place finish in the ISL last season, Chennaiyin have made several moves in the ongoing transfer window. They recently announced the appointment of Bozidar Bandovic as their new head coach.

The Marina Machans have already roped in Salam Ranjan Singh, Debjit Majumder, Narayan Das and Deepak Devrani. They also handed contract extensions to Rafael Crivellaro, Rahim Ali, Reagan Singh and Edwin Sydney. While Jobby Justin is set to be the club's latest domestic signing, fans can also expect movement in terms of overseas signings in the coming weeks.

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