Chennaiyin FC sign midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte ahead of 2024-25 season

CHENNAI: Chennaiyin FC have roped in young midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The 21-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Marina Machans becoming the third midfielder to join the club this summer after Lukas Brambilla and Jitendra Singh. Chennaiyin also handed a contract extension to Yumkhaibam Jiteshwor Singh last month.

The Mizoram-born Hnamte has been considered as one of the brightest talents of Indian football. He made his Indian Super League (ISL) debut at the age of just 18 for East Bengal in 2021.

This signing underlines Chennaiyin’s commitment to invest in young talent and nurture them to contribute in shaping the future of Indian football.

Welcoming Hnamte to the club, head coach Owen Coyle commented: “With the ability he possesses we haven't seen as much of Hnamte as we should've in the league. He's a fantastic young boy who will offer something different to our midfield options."

Before joining Chennaiyin, Hnamte was part of Mohun Bagan Super Giant set-up for three seasons. He won the Durand Cup (2023), the ISL title (2023) and the League Shield (2024) for them.

"I’m very excited and grateful to be part of this amazing club and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans. I will give absolutely everything I have to help this team win,” Hnamte expressed his excitement on joining the two-time ISL champions.

Hnamte has made 43 appearances in the ISL, spending more than 1300 minutes on the field. In the last season of the league, he recorded an impressive passing accuracy of 83 per cent in 13 matches.

He has also scored two goals so far in his professional career, one of which came against Chennaiyin in his debut ISL season.

With Coyle at the helm, Chennaiyin have strategically revamped their squad for the upcoming season with 11 new signings so far and they have also extended contracts of four players including Ryan Edwards, Connor Shields, Jiteshwor Singh and Samik Mitra.