Panaji: Lalengmawia Ralte, the prized midfielder of NorthEast United FC, has grudgingly accepted a record transfer fee offer from Mumbai City FC.
The transfer storey around Apuia, as the defensive midfielder is called, has stretched on for months, with Mumbai and ATK Mohun Bagan among the frontrunners to sign him. NEUFC confirmed on Tuesday night that they had accepted the offer, ending the suspense.
The transfer cost is expected to be close to Rs 2 crore, about double what ATK Mohun Bagan paid for Liston Colaco's release from Hyderabad FC earlier this season.
“NorthEast wanted Apuia to stay, but the player had already made up his mind. “There was no purpose in keeping a player who had his heart set on something else,” a source familiar with the situation stated.
Last season, the midfielder rose to fame after a stellar performance in the Indian Super League. When he captained NorthEast United against FC Goa at the age of 20, he became the youngest player ever to captain an ISL team. When he was named Emerging Player of the Year at the end of the season, no one was surprised.
Apuia's outstanding performances earned him a spot in the national squad, first under Gerard Nus and then under Khalid Jamil.
NorthEast will suffer as a result of Apuia's departure.
“We were hoping to keep Apuia. He's from the northeast, and we gave him the tools he needed to succeed. He did a fantastic job here. We wanted him to continue to develop with us and play for a few more years. One official stated, "We did our best."
The allure of joining Mumbai, which is owned by the powerful City Football Group (CFG), was too much for Apuia to resist. ATK Mohun Bagan made a bid, and Bengaluru FC showed interest at first, but the ISL champions were always in the driver's seat.
Apuia, the first Mizo player to participate for India at the U-17 World Cup, spent two seasons with Indian Arrows before signing a three-year contract with NorthEast in 2019.
He appeared in ten games for NorthEast in his rookie season.
However, he was a completely different player last season, as he guided NorthEast to the semifinals, beating far more well-known teams. Apuia made 93 tackles, 46 interceptions, and 23 blocks for his club in all 22 games. His game-winning goal against Kerala Blasters ensured the team's playoff berth.