Mumbai City FC have brought some excellent players to the club ever since former FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera took over the reigns as the head coach of the club. They have already racked up former FC Goa stars Mandar Rao Dessai, Ahmed Jahouh and Mourtada Fall, and now they are close to signing Spanish winger Jorge Ortiz who played for Atletico Madrid’s B side in 2018.
Ortiz currently plies his trade for Atletico Baleares in the Spanish secunda division (Spain’s second tier). The 28-year-old is a right winger who also has the ability to play on the left flank.
Mumbai City FC are close to sign Winger Jorge Ortiz on a free transfer reports @khelnow
Jorge has scored 5 goals & 3 assists in last season. If he signs he will become only the 6th Spanish player to sign for Mumbai City FC.#IFTWC #Mumbaicityfc #isl #indianfootball pic.twitter.com/6RvbCIL9GK— Indian Football Team for World Cup (@IFTWC) May 13, 2020
Apart from Baleares, Ortiz has also represented Secunda division clubs like Real Oviedo and Alcorcon. According to reports, one other club along with Mumbai City FC was in race to sign the Spaniard but it is believed that the Club owned by the City Football Group has won the race. Lobera is also impressed by the player and believes that he can add some much needed quality to the Mumbai City squad. It was Lobera’s interest in the player that made Mumbai City go all in to acquire his services.
Ortiz’s numbers are impressive as well. In 20 games for Atletico Baleares, Ortiz has netted eight goals and has three assists to his name as well. That sums up how much quality he has and considering how much Mumbai struggled on the right flank last season, Lobera’s interest in this player is justified.
Lobera, a former Barcelona assistant coach, had a memorable stint with FC Goa as he took them to the semifinals of the ISL in all the three editions. Not only that, they were the finalists in the 2018/19 edition and won the ISL shield last season as well.
He is known for an attacking and exciting brand of football which he was successful in emulating at FC Goa. He will try to do the same at Mumbai City and with the kind of financial backing the club has from their recent City Football Group’s takeover, Lobera can be expected to build an invincible squad. Jorge Ortiz is just one piece of the jigsaw towards achieving that goal and he will have an important role to play for the club in the 2020/21 season of the ISL.
Written by : Prasenjit Dey
