Barreto

New Delhi: With the transfer season round the corner, Mohun Bagan are making an all out effort to wrest control over Indian football’s most sought after striker Jose Ramirez Barreto, but Mahindra United are prepared to battle it out on all fronts to keep the Brazilian footballer in Mumbai for a second successive season.

While Barreto said he was still undecided over the reportedly lucrative offer from the green and maroon brigade, Mahindra officials are too confident about his staying with them.

The Mahindra team management is well aware of the fact that Barreto’s former Calcutta club might even go to the extent of offering a blank cheque to lure away the Brazilian to the eastern metropolis, but believe that the ace goalgetter will ‘act like a professional.’

“We have no specific idea about how much Mohun Bagan are offering Barreto, but we will match it for sure,” said Mahindra United manager and former Indian goalkeeper Henry Menezes.

“We have treated the boys well throughout the season and sincerely hope they will understand the whole thing.” The Mumbai team sources said that it won’t be easy for Mohun Bagan to snatch away Barreto based on promises of hefty payments.

“We already had a talk with Barreto and he knows about the strength of Mahindra as a company,” said a team official. “We can always match Mohun Bagan when it comes to payments. At the same time, we can offer a lot of facilities which the Calcutta club might be lacking.”

Barreto, on his part, said he was rather bored talking about the same topic again and again. “Allow me to give some thought to my injury at the moment. I am out of action for at least a fortnight,” he told The Telegraph.

“Everyone I meet these days ask me about my going back to Calcutta. To me, at the moment, winning the league is more important than anything else. Transfer can wait, but championships cannot.”

While Barreto is confident that Mahindra will have a smooth sailing in the remaining NFL encounters, he was not ready to commit about joining Mohun Bagan. “Frankly, I have not decided about it so far though I do have a lucrative offer from the Calcutta side.”

Barreto feels leaving Mahindra could be one of the toughest decisions in his life. “I have given the whole issue a deep thought already, but have failed to come to a conclusion. It’s difficult to leave a successful and settled side. I understand the situation in Calcutta where Mohun Bagan fans need me. For Mohun Bagan officials, signing me has become a prestige issue,” Barreto said.

Asked how long he would like to continue playing, the Brazilian replied till the time he remained fit to play competitive football. Barreto revealed that he would also love to play in Goa for at least a season. “It won’t be a bad idea, but not now. May be at the later stage of my career.”