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What's the story?
Chennaiyin FC have confirmed the signing of former AZ Alkmaar winger Gregory Nelson for the 2017-18 Indian Super League season. He has joined the 2015 champions on a free transfer after his contract expired at Bahrain outfit Al Muharraq.
In case you didn't know...
Nelson becomes Chennaiyin FC's sixth foreign signing for the forthcoming season and joins Raphael Augusto, Rene Mihelic, Inigo Calderon, Jude Nworuh and Jaime Gavilan into the club.
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He also played in the Europa League during his time at Bulgarian outfit CSKA Sofia.
The heart of the matter
Nelson has played in the Netherlands, Ukraine and Bulgaria before moving to the east in recent years by playing at Kazakh outfit FC Kaisar and Bahraini side Al Muharraq. His spell with Chennaiyin FC will be the first in India.
The 29-year-old expressed his delight at signing on the dotted lines, saying to the club's official website: "I would like to thank the club Chennaiyin FC and coach John Gregory for believing in me. A lot of my friends from Dutch football have played in the ISL and have given me positive feedback. Football in India is growing and I am really looking forward to be a part of it and of course, help Chennaiyin win back the championship."
The Marina Machans' head coach John Gregory believes the Dutchman will be an asset to the club, saying: "Nelson is a highly accomplished player with a fantastic CV. He will add plenty of quality and variety to our attack. After a very good career in Europe, he recently had a very impressive season in Bahrain and looks very well equipped to flourish in the Indian Super League."
What's next?
Chennaiyin FC are gearing up pretty well for another title tilt next season after last year's shambles and new coach Gregory and his staff have put a lot of consideration into signing the foreigners. The pacey winger can play on both flanks and will be a welcome addition to the Chennai-based outfit.
Author's take
With Nelson's arrival now confirmed, Chennaiyin have only two spots to fill their quota of foreign players. The club could be said to have done most of their important bits of business, and Nelson is another piece of the jigsaw that could help the club to reclaim the title they won in 2015.
