Mumbai City FC re-signs Farukh Choudhary ahead of ISL 2026-27
Mumbai City FC have announced the return of Farukh Choudhary to the club ahead of the Indian Super League 2026-27 season, the club confirmed on October 1, 2026. The 29-year-old forward has signed a contract that will keep him at the Islanders until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Born in Ambarnath, Maharashtra, Farukh previously featured for Mumbai City during the 2020-21 ISL season, making six appearances for the club. He arrives after spending the 2025-26 season with Chennaiyin FC and joins a squad undergoing changes in the attacking department.
Across his career in the Indian Super League Farukh has made 126 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists, and he has represented Jamshedpur FC and Chennaiyin FC. He has also been a regular presence around the India national team in recent times and scored India’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat to Tajikistan in June 2026.
Mumbai’s attacking group has seen departures in recent weeks: Lallianzuala Chhangte and Bipin Singh have left the club, and Gyamar Nikum is no longer part of the Islanders’ immediate plans. With those changes, the club see Farukh as an experienced option off the bench who can operate across multiple positions in the frontline and offer tactical flexibility for head coach Manolo Márquez.
Gyamar Nikum’s exit closes a chapter that began when Mumbai signed him from Rajasthan United in January 2023 for an undisclosed transfer fee and handed him a long-term contract. Nikum spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Inter Kashi, won the Best Emerging Player award in the I-League that season, made only seven appearances for Mumbai after returning, and subsequently left the club.
Farukh addressed his return to the Islanders, saying: “Coming back to Mumbai City means a lot to me. I have had some really good memories here, and I am happy to be back with the club. I am looking forward to the new season, working hard with the team and giving my best on the pitch. We have a strong squad and big ambitions, and I want to contribute as much as I can and help the team achieve its goals.”
Manolo Márquez added: “Farukh is a player we know very well, and he has qualities that can be very useful for us. He can add something different in attack, as he can play across all four positions there. We also believe he can add good competition and depth to the squad, and we are happy to have him back with us.”
Farukh’s contract runs through the end of the 2026-27 season, cementing his availability to Mumbai City for the upcoming ISL campaign as the club reshapes its attacking roster.