Sandesh Jhingan has been with Kerala Blasters since the inception of the Indian Super League in 2014 and as per some reports, it looks like the 26-year-old is set to end his association with the club in search of a new challenge. At his time at the Kochi-based club, the defender has established himself as one of the crowd-favourites, making 76 appearances and has also captained the Indian national football team. AIFF Nominate Sandesh Jhingan and Bala Devi for Arjuna Award.

According to a report from Goal, Kerala Blasters and Sandesh Jhingan are likely to end their six-year partnership, as the 26-year-old looks for a change of scenery. It is understood that the ISL club are undergoing massive restructuring due to financial restrictions and have asked several players to take a huge pay-cut and are willing to let one of their highest earners leave. AIFF’s Inaugural Futsal Club Championship to Kickstart 2020–21 Football Season in the Country.

The 26-year-old has been a mainstay in the Kerala squad since the beginning and was appointed as club captain from the 2018-19 season onwards. However, the defender suffered an ACL injury last August which kept him out for most of the 2019-20 season, where Kerala finished seventh, conceding 32 goals in the process.

Kerala Blasters are undergoing some massive changes as earlier the club parted ways with former coach Eelco Schattorie, and named Kibu Vicuna as his replacement. The Indian side have also signed Nishu Kumar from former ISL champions Bengaluru FC. Jhingan’s next destination is not yet known but several teams would be interested in acquiring the services of one of the best defenders from the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2020 08:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).