Chennai (Aryavarth): Chennaiyin FC have roped in young, talented central 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 after Lukas Brambilla and Jitendra Singh. Chennaiyin also handed a contract extension to Yumkhaibam Jiteswor Singh last month.
The Mizoram-born Hnamte has been considered one of the brightest talents in 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 to 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 Hnamteas 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 the Mohun Bagan Super Giant setup 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 for the two-time ISL champions as per a release by Chennaiyin FC.
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 percent in 13 matches.
Hnamte 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 the contracts of four players, including Ryan Edwards, Connor Shields, Jiteshwor Singh, and Samik Mitra.