PETALING JAYA: It’s never enough for Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
They may boast the best squad in the Malaysian League, but it has not stopped them from getting more top talents.
In a question and answer session with fans at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Monday, JDT owner and Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced the signing of leftback Daniel Ting and Spanish centreback Jordi Amat.
Amat is eligible to play for Indonesia as his grandmother hails from Makassar and thus will fill the Asean quota for JDT.
Daniel’s signing raised many questions as he had refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine which led to his departure from Kuala Lumpur earlier this season.
But Tunku Ismail has clarified that the player was vaccinated before signing for them. This is Daniel’s second stint with the Malaysian giants as he played for them from 2016 to 2017.
“The leftback spot needs competition. We know La’Vere Corbin-Ong’s quality, and he has been a top player for us and the national team for many years.
“But I do not want him to get too comfortable,” he said.
“Our team of scouts said Daniel is in England and is a free agent. When I spoke to Daniel, he agreed to be vaccinated and wanted to play for JDT.
“Now I have two top leftbacks. I always believe we need two to three players in each position.
“Jordi will be an asset not just for us but for Indonesia as well. I hope his passport process will be solved soon and he can join us immediately.
“It would be a loss if the Indonesian national team don’t take him because he has played 100 games in the La Liga and another 100 in the Premier League.”
Tunku Ismail also revealed that they could sign Dion Cools before the start of the 2023 season and was negotiating for a foreign playmaker to compete with Leandro Velasquez.
“Dion always had a relationship with us. He wanted to play here and wished to sign during the second window, but I told him it was challenging because of our budget. We must fork out a transfer fee to sign him from Danish club FC Midtjylland.
“So we will sign him up at the end of the year or next year when his deal expires with them.”