ISL 2017/18: 5 foreign stars who could be pitched to Indian clubs in the January transfer window

Joleon Lescott currently has a non-playing role at Manchester City

As January 15 draws near, the different ISL teams would be looking to rearrange their squads to some extent taking full advantage of the winter transfer window.

There are a few big names who are free agents at this point of time. They can be pitched to the ISL teams before the transfer window opens on January 15.

Here's a look at some of the names:

Joleon Lescott

The former England international who has bags of experience can be pitched to the ISL clubs as he has been a free agent since July last year.

Lescott currently has a non-playing role at Manchester City. He is working with the footballers which are loaned out of Manchester City. Currently, there are about 30 players on loan between the ages of 18 and 23 with the exception of Joe Hart.

The defender who plied his trade for Everton, City, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa, last played for Sunderland in May, 2016. Although he is on the wrong side of 30, he has truckloads of experience to turn the fate of any ISL team

Diego Capel

The Spanish left-winger who is best known for his time at Sevilla and Sporting CP has been a free agent since August last year after failing to sign a new deal with Anderlecht.

Incidentally, La Liga clubs Getafe and Leganes were interested to sign Capel last year but things didn’t proceed according to plan and Capel had to remain clubless.

The 29-year-old is a Spanish Cup winner with Sevilla and Portuguese Cup winner with Sporting CP. He was also part of the Sevilla team which won two consecutive UEFA Cups (now known Europa League) in 2005/06 and 2006/07.

He can be a good option for ISL clubs as he has the knack of scoring goals at crucial junctures.

Lucas Barrios

The Argentine-born Paraguayan footballer who recently turned out for Brazilian club Gremio in the Club World Cup is a free agent now after deciding to take a break from the game. However, he is also open to new offers. The striker even played in the Club World Cup final against Real Madrid which Gremio lost.

Reportedly Barrios has offers from clubs of Chile, Russia and Chin but the player said that negotiations with other clubs have yet to start. "I will analyse what's on offer but right now, I'm only thinking about getting some rest,” he said.

Robinho

The former Real Madrid striker can be called up during the ongoing ISL season as he is a free agent after parting ways with Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro. Reportedly Robinho didn’t sign a new deal as Mineiro offered him a 50 percent pay-cut.

Apart from the Los Blancos, Robinho has featured for big clubs like Manchester City and AC Milan. He has won two league titles each with Santos and Real Madrid, and laid his hands on one Serie A title while plying his trade for Milan. The forward has also lifted the Chinese Super League title with Guangzhou Evergrande.

Incidentally, Robinho has been also been linked to Scottish club Glasgow Rangers.

Tim Cahill

The Australian veteran has terminated his contract with Melbourne City FC due to shortage in playing time. Looking forward to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the striker has almost confirmed that he will move out of Australia so that he gets much more time on the pitch.

Cahill has set his eyes on different leagues in Asia. Reportedly he has also been linked to ISL. He is in great shape even at the age of 38 and can easily lead the attacks of teams which are looking to add an offensive option in their armoury.

Cahill's tenure at Everton was a special one as he scored 56 goals in 226 Premier League games for them.

Edited by Soumo Ghosh