Football Tribe SEA Editor
Amid all the chaos currently gripping the Thai League, Muangthong United have revealed their plans to keep ahold of their foreign players for when the league restarts in September, as per this report from SiamSport.
Many Thai League sides have struggled to keep ahold of their players and staff during this difficult time, as the COVID-19 crisis has forced the league to postpone matches, drying up clubs’ traditional revenue streams and putting them under intense financial pressure.
However, Muangthong engaged in a controversial austerity program over the most recent window, selling star players and fan favorites such as Teerasil Dangda, Heberty Fernandes, and Charyl Chappuis, much to the dismay of supporters. These moves were followed by a clear effort to draft more rising stars from the club’s academy into the first team.
It seems that the decision is paying dividends even quicker than expected, as the club have savings to fall back on and can keep ahold of their players during this difficult time, ensuring stability as the side continues to develop.
As such, the Kirin plan to retain Lucas Rocha, Derley, Willian Popp, Sardor Mirzaev, Daisuke Sato, and Dang Van Lam for the restart. The club has also confirmed that Popp has recovered from the injury which kept him out of Muangthong’s first four games of the season.
This comes in stark contrast to Muangthong’s traditional rivals Buriram United, who have already seen two of their foreign quota stars depart the club. Long-time leader Andres Tunez has called time on a seven-year spell at the Thunder Castle, while on the other end of the spectrum, South Korean midfielder Jeong Jae-Yong has ended his contract after playing just four league games for the club.
While the upcoming transfer window could spell chaos for many clubs, Muangthong will be looking to stay out of the fray and work with their existing squad ahead of the league restart.
