ISL Auction: Chhetri goes to Mumbai for Rs 1.2 crore; Lyngdoh breaks Rs 1 crore mark too

The two Maharashtra clubs seemed to be the biggest gainers in the Indian Super League auction as FC Pune City snapped up Jackichand Singh and Eugeneson Lyngdoh for a combined total of Rs 1.5 crore while Mumbai City FC signed the day’s biggest name, India captain Sunil Chhetri, for Rs 1.2 crore, the highest price for a single player. Both teams had poor first seasons and came out all guns blazing to sign the biggest names in the auction. Meanwhile NorthEast United was determined to sign winger Seityasen Singh and eventually got him for Rs 56 lakhs. Kerela Blasters and FC Goa were the two teams not to buy a player. [caption id=“attachment_2336618” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Hrithik Roshan presents Pune City’s two signings to the media. Firstpost/Pulasta Dhar[/caption] Jackichand (base price Rs 20 lakh) was first out of the bag and went to Pune City for 45 lakh in what can be termed as a very smart buy for the reigning I-League player of the year. But the steal of the day belonged to Mumbai, who signed Chhetri for a lot less than they were expecting to shell out. “We are very pleased to get Chhetri at this price. To see him play with [Nicolas] Anelka up front will be great for the fans of Mumbai City,” team owner Ranbir Kapoor said. Chhetri was himself asked whether he was disappointed with the auction amount, but the striker said that ‘money was not a priority.’ “I’ve been playing football for 13 years and God has been kind — you have to work hard and play, and the money will come. Not to sound too diplomatic, but money is not a priority at the moment. I’ve been around the country but never played for a club in Mumbai so that’s great too.” The biggest difference between base price and auction amount was for Eugeneson Lyngdoh who went for a whopping Rs 1.05 crore — 77.5 lakh more than his base price. “We would have gone to any length to get the players we wanted,” Pune City owner Hrithik Roshan said while presenting Lyngdoh and Jackichand to the media. “Lyngdoh brings in a lot of experience and Jackichand has wings — he goes like a rocket, so I’m very happy with the signings. I’ve never enjoyed spending money so much because what we’ve got for it is worth it.” Both Lyngdoh and Jackichand recently made their debuts for India and were in the teams that played in the World Cup qualifiers. The other player to have received a significant bump on his base price is defender Rino Anto. The 27-year-old had the lowest base price of Rs 17.5 lakh and eventually went for Rs 90 lakh - over five times his base price - that much to Atletico de Kolkata. Mumbai City FC and FC Goa pushed hard for the player before the champions swooped in with a winning bid. Chennaiyin were the only team to bid for goalkeeper Karanjit Singh, who they signed for Rs 60 lakh. “We wanted to sign an Indian goalkeeper so that we can use as many foreigners in the outfield,” manager Marco Materazzi said. Karanjit was the second most expensive player according to base price but the 29-year-old said he was not nervous about the high amount because he was certain ‘a few teams would want an Indian goalkeeper’ “Last year we inherited a team, this year we are making one,” co-owner Vita Dani said — the team also paid big bucks for midfielder Thoi Singh. John Abraham’s NorthEast United came into the game late with a strong bid for Seityasen Singh — another player who recently made his debut for India (against Oman on 11 June). Abraham admitted that they were lucky to see his name drawn last in the lot because by then, most teams had drained their resources. “We have been in constant discussions with our Indian coaches and they told me, ‘go for this player’ and that’s what we did. We wanted someone who can play on both wings and we are very pleased with Seityasen’s signing,” he explained. Delhi Dynamos’ World Cup winning player-manager Roberto Carlos was also in attendance and the team said that the Brazilian was clear on what type of striker he wanted. Hulking striker Robin Singh (for Rs 51 lakh) and Anas Edathodika (for Rs 41 lakh) were their buys — and the former is also a local boy, which made purchasing him a more attractive proposition, the team said. “He’s a very good striker,” was all that Carlos said, before excusing himself because he is not comfortable with English. Singh is not in the city for the auction due to an illness but sent his regards through a video message saying that he will ‘play his heart out’ for his team. In all, the six teams spent Rs 7.22 crore on the 10 players in the auction. List of auctioned players 1) Jackichand Singh - Pune City – Rs 45 lakh 2) Thoi Singh – Chennaiyin FC – Rs 86 lakh 3) Anas Edathodika – Delhi Dynamos – Rs 41 lakh 4) Eugeneson Lyngdoh – Pune City – Rs 1.05 crore 5) Sunil Chhetri – Mumbai FC – Rs 1.2 crore 6) Arata Izum – Kolkata – Rs 68 lakh 7) Robin Singh – Delhi Dynamos – Rs 51 lakh 8) Karanjit Singh – Chennaiyin – Rs 60 lakh 9) Rino Anto – Kolkata – Rs 90 lakh 10) Seityasen Singh – NorthEast - Rs 56 lakh