Firing Jason Cummings has been offered life-changing money to move to India with big-spending Mohun Bagan – but Central Coast Mariners have made an admittedly "selfish" plea for him to stay.
Cummings has turned his career around since swapping Dundee for Down Under. After falling out with James McPake, he left the SPFL and the UK in his rear-view mirror and has reinvented himself as a top A-League marksman with 27 goals in his 44 appearances for Mariners. Seventeen of those have come this season while he's also made himself a fixture of the Australia squads, going to Qatar with his country in the summer and most recently appearing against Ecuador.
The 28-year-old's stunning form isn't going unnoticed and he has a release clause in his contract which is attracting interest. He has just a year to run on his current deal but Mohun Bagan have offered to buy him out of that and take him to India now. Mariners owner Richard Peli expects plenty more interest in Cummings, who has resurrected his career by going Down Under, but he's pleaded with the former Hibs and Rangers frontman to see out his existing deal at the very least.
He said: “Who knows where Jason will end up but there’s a good chance he will go. I really hope he stays and we are able to sign him up for another two years. He currently has a year left and I hope he agrees to stay for at least that amount of time.
"But if he does go I’d be surprised if it was India - it would have to be a big money offer. Ultimately, though, if he wants to go we won’t stand in his way. We are not in the business of preventing players from moving on if they have an opportunity that is good for them and reasonable for us. He turns 28 this year and will be looking to shore up his financial situation and set himself up post-football and we understand that.
"If it’s my choice, as I’ve said, I’d love him to stay because he’s a tremendous character and has been great for us on and off the pitch. He’s done a great job for us, scored a lot of goals and off the back of that he’s become part of the Socceroos setup and got to play at the World Cup.
"But if our manager Nick Montgomery and his assistant Sergio Raidmundo hadn't put their faith in him, all that wouldn’t have happened. They have given Jason the platform to show what he can do - and he’s taken that opportunity with both hands. He’s more than repaid everybody at our club. I really like the guy - he’s terrific to have around and selfishly don’t want to see him move on at this point."
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