Exclusive: East Bengal sign Minerva Punjab defender Kamalpreet Singh in bumper deal

The deal makes the defender one of the highest paid youngsters in the Indian game.

East Bengal have signed Minerva Punjab youngster Kamalpreet Singh in a two-year deal, Khel Now understands.

The right-back, who was a part of the Punjab outfit's I-League winning squad has been roped in by the Kolkata giants for a transfer fee of ₹25 lakhs. The 20-year-old is epected to make a whopping ₹80 lakhs over two season, which makes him one of the highest paid youngsters in the country.

In  recent years, the century-old club have conceded goals from a shaky backline and the lack of experienced full-backs in the country has only aggravated the crisis. Since the departure of Rahul Bheke to Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC, former coach Khalid Jamil tried different combination in the specific slot but failed.

Singh made 18 appearances for Minerva Punjab in the I-League last season. The pacy full-back's gameplay caught the eyes of many for his vision and crosses, which helped Minerva in attack as well.

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The last season saw Samad Ali Mallick plying his trade in the right back position for East Bengal in the league as well as in the inaugural Super Cup. However, Mallick was sent off in the Super Cup final against Bengaluru FC in Bhubaneswar, following a controversial challenge, which sparked much criticism of the 23-year-old.

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The Kolkata outfit are expected to play an attacking brand of football next season and the inclusion of Singh will certainly boost their chances of finally winning the I-League.

With two experienced tacticians in Bastob Roy and Subhash Bhowmick at the helm, the arrival of Singh is a welcome sight for the Red and Gold Brigade for the forthcoming season.