ISL Transfer News: Mumbai City sign Vinit Rai on a permanent deal

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Mumbai City FC have announced the permanent signing of Vinit Rai following his loan spell for one and half seasons.

The 25-year-old midfielder joined on loan last season but will be extending his stay at the ISL Shield winners after putting pen to paper on a one-year contract.

The Assam-born midfielder initially joined the Islanders in January 2022 on loan from Odisha FC and made 14 appearances for the club across all competitions, including in Mumbai City FC's historic 2022 AFC Champions League campaign.

Mumbai City loaned Vinit for another year, with the midfielder continuing with the Islanders for the 2022-23 season. Vinit played an influential role in the Islanders' record-breaking ISL Shield win.

The player featured 11 times last season for Mumbai and netted two spectacular goals against Chennaiyin FC and NorthEast United FC.

A product of the Tata Football Academy, Vinit started his Hero ISL career in 2016 and has played a total of 90 league games so far, featuring for Kerala Blasters, now defunct Delhi Dynamos, and Odisha FC before joining the Islanders.

After penning a new deal with the Islanders, the player was ecstatic and thanked the Mumbai City coach Des Buckingham and his staff for their support. He also vowed another successful season in the coming year, which will be a huge campaign for the ISL team as they will take part in the AFC Champions League.

"I am thrilled to extend my journey with Mumbai City for another year. The learning and experiences I've had in my time here have helped me grow a lot," Vineet said.

"Coach Des, his staff and everyone here has supported me wholeheartedly and I am determined to help the club achieve success just like we did last season. I feel privileged to be part of this remarkable team and I'm ready to continue working hard for this badge and our fans," he added.

(with inputs from agency)