Shillong Lajong FC have signed a new foreign player as well as one Meghalayan local.
Douglas Tardin is the third Brazilian player to join Lajong this season, with the forward following compatriots Daniel Goncalves and Renan Paulino de Souza.
He is now the fourth foreigner in the squad (the other is the Senegalese striker Abdou Karim Samb) after Lajong split with Japanese Takuto Miki late last year.
Clubs can sign up to six foreigners (one being from an Asian Football Confederation member country) for I-League 2023-24.
Tardin, who is just days away from his 32nd birthday, began his career in Brazil before also playing in Switzerland and Angola. Recent years have seen him rooted to Asia, playing for teams in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Meanwhile, Lajong, who are fifth in the I-League, also announced that Denzil Kharshandi has joined the club. The local lad is a product of DSK Shivajians and has represented sides such as Punjab FC, ARA FC and Mohammedan Sporting.
The 23-year-old forward has I-League experience, having played for Punjab up until last season (the club are now part of the Indian Super League) following which he was taken on by Mohammedan, who are leading the table at the moment. However, he did not find a role in the Kolkata team and was not utilised in this season of the I-League.
The I-League is currently on hiatus to make way for the Super Cup. Lajong have qualified for the group-cum-knockout format Super Cup, which will begin next week. SLFC have been slotted into Group B with ISL sides NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters FC and Jamshedpur FC.