Indian-Origin Manprit Sarkaria replaces outgoing Jorge Ortiz in Shenzhen Peng City

Manprit Sarkaria will join Shenzhen Peng City as Jorge Ortiz is rumoured to move to Mumbai City FC.

Austria’s Indian-origin footballer Manprit Sarkaria has completed his move from Sturm Gram to Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Peng City. The 28-year-old was previously playing in the Austrian Bundesliga and has also represented the Austrian national team.

The centre forward arrives to replace Jorge Ortiz who is leaving the Chinese club to return to the Indian Super League. As per reports, Ortiz is set to join Mumbai City FC in the January transfer window.

Both Shenzhen Peng City and Mumbai City are part of the City Football Group. Hence, this is said to have played a part in the former FC Goa star’s return to Indian football.

Who is Shenzhen Peng City’s newest signing Manprit Sarkaria?

Manprit Sarkaria is an Indian-origin footballer who holds Austrian citizenship. The 28-year-old had so far played his entire professional career in his home country with Sturm Graz and Austria Vienna.

Sarkaria, a graduate of Austria Vienna’s youth academy, was promoted to their senior team in the 2017-18 season. The centre forward scored 14 goals in his four seasons with the club before moving on to Sturm Graz in 2021.

With his new club, Manprit Sarkaria played his best football in his debut season, scoring 17 goals in 42 games. Overall, the player scored 37 goals in 112 games for Sturm Graz’s senior team, also playing in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League with them.

Playing with Chinese club Shenzhen Peng City will be Sarakaria’s first foray in Asian football. It has to be seen how the forward performs as he was recently sidelined to Sturm Graz’s B team for the past six months.

An ISL return on the cards for Jorge Ortiz!

Jorge Ortiz is certainly no stranger to the ISL or Indian football. The 32-year-old was part of FC Goa between 2020 and 2022 before moving to China with Shenzhen Peng City.

In his time with FC Goa, Ortiz played 41 games for the club, scoring 15 goals and providing 7 assists to his teammates. The forward also represented the Gaurs in five AFC Champions League games and also scored a goal in the tournament.

With Shenzhen Peng City, Ortiz has scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in 56 games overall. The Spaniard also helped the club win the 2nd tier championship (China League One) in 2023, helping them qualify to the Chinese Super League.

Looking set to join Mumbai City, Ortiz comes in at a very crucial time for the ISL club. The Islanders are currently sixth in the league and are fighting to secure a playoff spot. Having won just one of their last four games, Petr Kratky’s team will have to pull their socks up in this tight race for the top six.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.