Anwar Ali set to complete move to East Bengal from Mohun Bagan after receiving NOC from Player Status Committee

The 23-year-old had prematurely ended his loan contract with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and agreed to join arch-rival East Bengal on a five-year deal.

FILE-India defender Anwar Ali. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/The Hindu

India defender Anwar Ali is set to register as an East Bengal player after receiving a No Objection Certificate (NOC), at his own risk, from the Player Status Committee (PSC) of the All India Football Federation on August 10.

The 23-year-old had prematurely ended his loan contract with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and agreed to join arch-rival East Bengal on a five-year deal.

Meanwhile, the Mariners maintained that the centre-back was their player — Anwar had signed a four-year loan with Mohun Bagan, which he ended early through an email — and sent him a notice to report for training on July 19, a week before the Durand Cup 2024.

For a solution on the matter, Anwar, his parent club, Delhi FC, and Mohun Bagan have approached the PSC.

Though the Committee found the loan termination ‘without a just cause’ in its interim order on August 3, it gave the player clearance to join another club at his own risk, which will be East Bengal.

“As the club (MBSG) had not issued an NOC despite having conceded to the termination, whilst reserving its rights to claim appropriate sanctions and damages, it is hereby directed that this order may be treated as an NOC for purposes of player registration and registration on the AIFF CRS (Central Registration System),” the Committee said in its order on Saturday. 

Sportstar understands that Anwar will land at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 10 p.m. IST and will complete his registration with the Red-and-Gold Brigade, after passing his medical at the Indian Super League club.

Anwar was a member of the India side that played in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He made his senior team debut in March 2022 and has become a national team mainstay, alongside Sandesh Jhingan as the centre-back combination.

He has won three trophies with the Blue Tigers so far: the Tri-Nations tournament, the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship.

At the club level, he was crucial for Mohun Bagan in the 2023–24 season, playing 26 times for the club, with three goals and one assist and winning the Durand Cup and the Indian Super League Shield.

After successful registration, Anwar would be East Bengal’s 10th transfer of the season. The club has made nine new signings in the current transfer window, including three international players - Dimitrios Diamantakos, Madih Talal, and Hector Yuste - and six Indian players - David Lalhlansanga, Jeakson Singh, Provat Lakram, Debjit Majumder, Mark Zothanpuia, and Nishu Kumar, who has joined permanently after a loan spell.

With six points from two matches, it remains level with rival Mohun Bagan on points in the Durand Cup and plays the Mariners next on August 18 in the first Kolkata derby of the 2024–25 season.