Gian Chansrichawla
Football Tribe SEA Editor
Muangthong United are looking for a revival during the second leg of the season, and see an overhaul of their foreign player quota as instrumental to achieving a desirable result come the end of the season. As such, they have signed Brazilian striker Derley from Desportivo Aves in Portugal, and Japanese-Filipino left-back Daisuke Sato from Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe in Romania.
Derley, formerly of Benfica, is expected to partner his countryman Heberty up front for the Kirin, playing as a target-man. He has also worked with Muangthong coach Alexandre Gama when the pair were at Madureira in Brazil. The forward has played fairly regularly for Aves, almost three-quarters of the available minutes.
Meanwhile, Sato will fill the side’s last remaining ASEAN quota slot, along with Dang Van Lam and Aung Thu. During his unveiling, Sato revealed that Muangthong have made offers for him previously. The side likely sees him as a replacement for Theerathon Bunmathan, who is currently on loan at J-League side Yokohama F. Marinos. Sato’s transfer may also indicate that the Japanese club could be looking to make Theerathon’s move permanent.
Muangthong are also set to release Macedonian playmaker Mario Gjurovski and Korean defensive midfielder Lee Ho to make room in their foreign player quota. This move could also pave the way for one more potential signing, which has been rumored to be a player from Serbia, whose identity remains unknown.
The Kirin have only collected 14 points from 15 games this season, and currently sit in the relegation zone going into the second leg. The side will now be looking to salvage a respectable position for themselves in the league, while also potentially targeting AFC Champions League qualification through the FA Cup.