ISL: Mumbai City FC rope in midfielder Abdenasser El Khayati

Mumbai City FC have strengthened their squad by adding the services of midfielder Abdenasser El Khayati ahead of the upcoming Hero Indian Super League, the club announced on Friday. Khayati was a free agent after parting ways with Chennaiyin FC.

The Dutch midfielder had delivered the goods for the Marina Machans in the previous season of the ISL 2022-23, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 12 matches he played in the tournament.

El Khayati becomes the club’s eighth signing, and the fifth midfielder for the season after Vinit Rai, Franklin Nazareth, Yoell van Nieff, and Jayesh Rane. Khayati will definitely add value to the team’s midfield and he will look to be at his absolute best for Des Buckingham’s team.

The veteran has the experience of playing as a winger as well as a central midfielder and he will look to replicate the same success for the Islanders.

Furthermore, Khayati has played most of his football in Eredivisie, the Netherlands’ top-tier football league. The Dutch started his football career with the youth academy of Excelsior before joining the Feyenoord youth team in 2003. Subsequently, he made a move to RKSV Leonidas’ youth department. He made his professional debut for Den Bosch in the Eerste Divisie in 2008.

He has played for clubs like Queens Park Rangers, ADO Den Haag, Burton Albion, and Kozakken Boys in a career that is now 14 years long.

Meanwhile, Mumbai City FC will begin their ISL campaign on September 24 when they travel to Guwahati to take on NorthEast United FC. Before opening their ISL campaign, the Islanders will take on Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran at Pune’s Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports stadium in the AFC Champions League.