Liga 1 Indonesia giants Persipura Jayapura have announced on Sunday that they are loaning out their talented wonderkid Todd Rivaldo Ferre to Thai League 2 side Lampang FC. 20-year old Todd thus became the second Indonesian player to represent a Thai club this season after PT Prachuap’s Yanto Basna in the Thai League 1.
With only a few matches to go until the halfway point of the 2020-21 Thai football calendar, many of the kingdom’s clubs are preparing themselves for the second half of the season in 2021. Top-flight leaders BG Pathum United are rumored to be gunning for both Johor Darul Ta’zim’s Diogo and Shimizu S-Pulse’s Teerasil Dangda in their bid to capture their first Thai League 1 title, while Port FC are currently eyeing Ratchaburi Mitr Phol’s Yannick Boli to bolster their already stacked attacking options, with Goal Thailand even reporting that the Klong Toei Lions have already sealed the deal with both the Ivorian and Ratchaburi.
Thai League 2 strugglers Lampang are also bolstering themselves for the second half of the season as they geared themselves up for a relegation dogfight, with the Emerald Chariots having their eyes set on Persipura’s young gem Todd. With the Liga 1 still postponed until next year, Todd would surely be hungry for some game time to help with his development and Lampang would be more than happy to provide the Papua talent with what he needs.
Persipura chairman Benhur Tony Mano confirmed Todd’s departure from the Mutiara Hitam on Sunday, “I’ve already asked the management to sort out everything. Both Persipura and the club (Lampang) have agreed terms, now we just wait for the club to sort things out with the player (Todd). Hopefully all will be done within this week.”
The Eastern Indonesian behemoths also shared a post on their official Instagram that announced Todd’s departure, “We have agreed terms with Thai League 2 side Lampang FC in regards of the loan deal for our player Todd Rivaldo Ferre. Todd will be playing for Lampang from January until March of 2021, however should they qualify for the promotion play-offs Todd will remain in Lampang until April 2021.”
Khairul Asyraf of 2touch Management, the Singaporean agency that facilitated Todd’s loan move to Lampang, had this to say, “I cannot disclose too much information in regards of the deal, but what I can say that this is a win-win solution for both parties. Persipura won’t have to pay Todd’s wages as that will be covered by Lampang themselves.”
Todd won’t be the first taste of Liga 1 that Lampang had experienced, as the Northern Thailand club had previously employed another Liga 1 alumni in recent times, with former Bali United midfielder Kevin Brands having represented Lampang since 2019.