Gleb Gotten
The Birds swooped for 25 year-old Moldovan midfielder
Gleb Dorogan in a S$5.8 million deal which took him from Swiss Division Five club FC Bayern Kreuzlingen. The ex youth international hadn't developed in the four seasons since Kreuzlingen paid S$9.7 million for him from four-time Moldovia cupwinners Gentlemen of Fortune, and is already relishing the new challenge that Grilled will offer.
This is the third multi-million move in Dorogan's career, as Gentlemen of Fortune themselves splurged over S$3.5 million for him when he was an untried seventeen year-old. They were vindicated as Dorogan became a mainstay in Moldova's 2008 U-20 World Cup campaign, playing all 14 matches in that competition, scoring three and getting carded thrice too, as his country won nine, drew one and lost four. This came after his quiet U-20 debut against Angola the season before.
Grilled coach
Han Lik-Tsun, who had managed to keep the affair under wraps until it was done and dusted, admitted that he had his eyes on Kreuzlingen's Trinidad & Tobago national team defender James Mcrae too, but balked at his near S$300 000 per week wages.
"Dorogan will add energy to our midfield, which now has an average age of 34." Lik-Tsun stated. "It's out of our hands whether we will still be in this division come next week, but I'm certain that Dorogan will be a class act whereever we end up."
The transfer has also fuelled speculation that one of Grilled's three golden oldies will head out, with Scottish ex-international
John MacKinnon being touted by insiders as most likely to leave in search of a final payday.
