Dang Van Lam could face penalty over Muangthong United contract violation

The 27-year-old Vietnamese keeper has been absent from recent Muangthong training sessions. According to Thai sports channel TrueID, the club has requested Lam to resume training or else be fined.

The Thai version of sports site Goal stated Muangthong was not satisfied with recent statements made by Lam's agent, Andrey Grushin to the press. On Jan. 7, Grushin said Lam would soon sign with Japan's J1 League club Cerezo Osaka. A day later, he revealed Russian club Dynamo Moscow and Portuguese side S.C. Braga had also shown interest.

The agreement between Lam and Muangthong runs until November 2021. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Thai League has changed its schedule, forcing foreign players to extend their contracts until May 2022. After receiving an offer from Osaka, Lam had decided to pay a compensation fee and make an early break with Muangthong. However, without having officially signed with anyone, the goalkeeper remains under contract with the Thai club.

A personal agreement between Lam and Osaka has indeed been reached. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Lam has not been able to fly to Japan and sign the contract. Therefore, he could still negotiate with other clubs.

In June 2019, Muangthong United bought Lam from Hai Phong FC for $500,000. Since then, he has made 42 appearances for the club over two seasons.