TUCKER, St James — Red Stripe Premier League champions Montego Bay United (MBU) have snapped up a cadre of the top young players in western Jamaica as the transfer window opened a few days ago.

Four members of the Cornwall College team that won the ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup, including exciting striker Jourdaine Fletcher and midfielder Peter-Lee Vassell, have put pen to paper.

Meanwhile, Rusea’s High’s attacking midfielder Deshane Beckford has returned to the club he represented two years ago.

The Cornwall College central defensive pairing of Michael Heaven and Pagiel Brown have also signed to the top-flight campaigner, club President Orville Powell told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“We are building for the long run and we want to be champions for a long time… these are exciting times (and) I did promise to bring back the excitement, and we are doing that,” he said.

The players will all be eligible for Sunday’s game against Waterhouse at Wespow Park as “the paperwork [is] being done and should be completed in no time.”.

“The players wanted to come here, they wanted to play for Montego Bay United, and that is what is important to us,” said Powell.

Fletcher, who scored over 30 goals in the schoolboy season, along with Vassell and Beckford, represented Western Confederation Super League team Faulkland FC, and all three represented the club in a St James Football Association’s Captain’s Bakery and Grill Knockout first-round loss to Wadadah FC last week.

The players could also feature in MBU’s Caribbean Football Union first-round games to be held later this year.

Meanwhile, Montego Bay United will lose at least two players from the current squad with Jason Watson moving to Maverley-Hughenden and left wingback Zvezdan Doreilovic has returned to Serbia.

The Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) champions might not be done in the market, as Powell told the Observer they were still light in the wingback positions with Lesly St Fleur expected to stay in his native Bahamas, where he will take part in the CONCACAF Beach Championships set for late February.

Powell said the addition of the newcomers, as well as last season’s MVP Owayne Gordon, makes his team dangerous. “We have a strong squad and, except for a few players, our senior players are also reasonably young,” Powell said.

MBU, who have been to the last three RSPL finals — winning two — lead the RSPL points standings with 35, three more than second-placed Tivoli Gardens and UWI FC, both on 32. Humble Lion are in fourth place on 31 points.