2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) finalists ATK Mohun Bagan have announced the signing of Bidyananda Singh. The 23-year-old midfielder was with Mumbai City FC last season but didn’t get any games in what was a trophy-winning campaign for the Islanders under Sergio Lobera. 

“We are delighted to announce that Bidyananda Singh is back in the City of Joy as he signs a one-year deal with the Green & Maroon,” the club announced on Twitter on Monday.

It will be the second time that Bidyananda will be representing a Kolkata-based Hero ISL club. Readers will remember that he was also part of the ATK FC team that won the prestigious title in 2016 under Spaniard Jose Francisco Molina. After featuring in six matches that season, he moved to Bengaluru FC in 2017 and played for their B team. He made a solitary appearance for the senior team in an AFC Cup game. Bidyananda was also part of the Blues’ squad during the 2018-19 Hero ISL season, however, he didn’t get any games. 

He featured in 10 games for Mumbai City FC in the 2019-20 season and scored a goal as well as provided an assist in his brief appearances. After no opportunities coming his way in the 2020-21 season, he left the Islanders in May earlier this year.

The Manipur-born player is the seventh signing for the Mariners since their loss in the 2020-21 final to Mumbai City FC. He follows Liston Colaco, Amrinder Singh, Joni Kauko, Deepak Tangri, Ashutosh Mehta and Hugo Boumous into the star-studded team.

ATK Mohun Bagan are due to play in the AFC Cup (Group D, South Zone) and these singings indicate that the Antonio Lopez Habas-led outfit has serious ambitions going into the prestigious continental club competition in Asia.