ISL: 10 Former players teams could use now

Yet another entertaining and quality season of ISL came to an end when ATK got the better of Chennaiyin FC to lift their third title in six seasons. While teams like ATK and FC Goa were a treat to watch, others like Hyderabad FC and NorthEast United could never get going over the five months.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC reached the playoffs but ended the campaign with a host of things to rectify before ball rolls again in the ISL next season. The mid-table finishers too have kept aside numerous elements to get right for a better outing in the season to come.

With the league evolving through professionalism and quality, it is up to the clubs to stay up to speed with their transitions and better their performances.

Though the season has just ended, the clubs have been proactive in the transfer market. The few big deals already signed are most likely to be followed by more in the upcoming months. As more than half of the ISL clubs are close to replacing their head coaches, we might witness an increased set of transfers this summer.

Here, we look at ten former players each team could use now.

#10 Mario Arques - Jamshedpur FC

After a season with Jamshedpur FC, Mario Arques signed for Kochi-based outfit Kerala Blasters. A lethal partnership was expected at Blasters when Sergio Cidoncha too joined him from JFC. However, the move didn't work out well for the Spaniard.

Arques could play only six games as an injury sidelined him for most of the season. In 432 minutes for Blasters, the 28-year-old provided one assist, completed 318 passes, and made 24 tackles.

As Bartholomew Ogbeche and Sergio Cidoncha are the only foreign players who have extended their stay at Kochi, Mario Arques will be on the way out.

However, the midfielder can still be a valuable addition at Jamshedpur FC. Though the Red Miners had promising names in midfield in the form of Aitor Monroy and Noe Acosta, they could never replicate what Arques did.

He played all 18 matches for JFC in the 2018/19 season and scored three goals in addition to providing two assists. The Villarreal youth academy product was an integral part of Jamshedpur and would be a vital presence if signed again.

#9 Pritam Kotal - Odisha FC

Pritam Kotal joined Delhi Dynamos (now Odisha FC) ahead of the 2017/18 season and played 25 games for the club before moving to ATK during the winter transfer window of the 2018/19 season.

His former employers might now be regretting the decision of letting him go as the defender has taken massive strides and improved his game. Pritam played every minute of ATK's title-winning campaign and was pivotal for the champions.

He scored one goal, completed 71 tackles, and made 149 clearances in Antonio Lopez Habas' untroubled back-three.

Odisha FC mostly relied on foreign centre-backs this season but that didn't help them a lot. Josep Gombau also tried young guns like Gaurav Bora at the heart of the defence and that didn't change things either. In total, the side conceded 31 goals and were left wanting an assuring presence at the back on numerous occasions.

An Indian defender like Kotal would've been a perfect addition for a team that showed a lot of promise on the offensive end, bit were frail defensively. However, a deal looks impossible as the player has a long contract with ATK until 2022 and the champions wouldn't dare to let him go.

#8 Anas Edathodika - Jamshedpur FC

Anas Edathodika, currently part of ATK, plied his trade for Jamshedpur FC in the 2017/18 season of the ISL. He left JFC for Kerala Blasters and then joined ATK last year.

Though the centre-back was a regular starter in the first few matches for Kolkata, an injury marred his season. Anas played nine games wherein he made 18 tackles and 51 clearances.

Though the Indian international comes with plenty of experience, Sumit Rathi and Pritam Kotal have sealed their places in Habas' starting eleven. Anas will be out of contract soon and an extension seems unlikely in the present scenario.

Roping in the defender without paying a transfer fee would be a good move for his former club Jamshedpur FC. Though he is 33 years old, he has plenty of football left in him and can help JFC by adding some much-needed experience at the back.

With Tiri joining Kerala Blasters and no updates on Memo Moura's future, Jamshedpur FC will surely be up for some restructuring in defence.

#7 Raphael Augusto - Chennaiyin FC

Raphael Augusto made a move to Bengaluru FC from Chennaiyin FC after a four-year stay with the Marina Machans. From 2015 to 2018/19, the Brazilian player was a driving force for Chennaiyin and played a vital part in both of their title triumphs.

At Bengaluru, Augusto took time to settle and his progress was hindered by an injury in December that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Before being replaced by Kevaugh Frater, he played nine matches and provided one assist. The 29-year-old lacked sharpness and could not solve BFC's attacking woes.

Chennaiyin FC would have benefitted more from Augusto's presence this season than Bengaluru FC did. The midfielder's killer passes from the centre to Nerijus Valskis would have been a treat to watch for the CFC faithful.

With Andre Schembri announcing his retirement, it would be fair for any Chennai fan to wish that Augusto takes his place.

#6 Rowllin Borges - NorthEast United

NorthEast United lost one of their best Indian players when Rowllin Borges decided to make a move from Guwahati to Mumbai before the 2019/20 season. The Goan was part of the Highlanders' squad since 2016 and played 48 ISL games for them.

At Mumbai City, he featured in 15 games, scored two goals and registered as many assists. With 103 tackles and 634 passes, Rowllin perfected the role of a central midfielder.

The Indian international had scored four goals and notched up two assists during his stint with NorthEast and was better known for his accurate passing ability, and maintained a passing accuracy of over 75%.

After their first-ever playoffs under Eelco Schattorie, the departure of key personnel including Rowllin Borges hurt NorthEast United FC and the never recovered. The club finished second from the bottom this term and sacked head coach Robert Jarni midway through the season.

Bringing back Rowllin would be a big move to strengthen their underperforming midfield. The void left by him hasn't been filled by anyone and is still visible in the Highlanders' midfield.

#5 Everton Santos - Mumbai City

Everton Santos played for Mumbai City in the 2017/18 season and scored six goals in 18 games. He later joined ATK for the 2018/19 season and then moved to Brazilian club Figueirense FC.

The forward was the Islanders' top-scorer of the season and he also registered five assists whilst attempting 35 shots. Though the team finished seventh on the table and didn't achieve worth remembering, Santos had a decent debut campaign in India.

He was signed by ATK the following season but could provide only a solitary assist for Steve Coppell's side.

There were high expectations from Modou Sougou and Diego Carlos before the 2019/20 ISL season kicked off. However, they clearly failed to live up to them and one can only wonder how different things would've been had Everton Santos been in Mumbai's squad.

However, with the club close to appointing Sergio Lobera as the head coach, Santos will definitely not to be one of their primary targets.

#4 Xisco Hernandez - Bengaluru FC

Xisco Hernandez joined Bengaluru FC in 2018 and was an influential figure in their run to the title. He scored one goal, provided five assists, and ensured the Blues came out on top in every midfield battle in the league.

However, the club did not extend his stay with coach Carles Cuadrat later explaining that it was a 'business decision', and the player joined Odisha FC. For Odisha, Xisco played 18 matches in which he scored five goals and provided two assists.

Though Bengaluru FC qualified for the playoffs, they lacked a quality attacking midfielder throughout the season. If Bengaluru had retained the Spanish midfielder, they would've had someone in their ranks who could break down stubborn defences and carve out opportunities out of nothing - something they struggled with in the recently-concluded season.

As Xisco's contract is set to expire soon and Odisha are yet to zero-in on who their next head coach is going to be, a transfer could very well be on the cards for Hernandez. If OFC decide against renewing his contract, it wouldn't be surprising to see Bengaluru FC try to re-sign their former midfielder.

#3 Dheeraj Singh - Kerala Blasters

Dheeraj Singh and Kerala Blasters parting ways was a decision that both parties ultimately regretted.

Kerala Blasters had goalkeeping issues throughout their season, as their two custodians - TP Rehenesh and Bilal Khan - were in poor form through the course of the tournament. On the other hand, Dheeraj, who signed for ATK after leaving the Blasters, played just one game all season and was left warming the bench for 19 matches.

His only appearance came against Bengaluru FC in the final league game that ATK drew with a 2-2 scoreline. In stark contrast, the 19-year-old enjoyed some valuable playing time at the Blasters in 2018-19, starting 13 games and making 32 saves.

Kerala Blasters conceded 32 goals this season, with only Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC conceding more. They had three clean sheets all season - two for Rehenesh and one for Bilal. Troubled by the mistakes from their custodians, the Blasters faithful wished to have their young keeper back at Kochi.

However, Dheeraj Singh joined ATK on a contract that keeps him with the club until 2024 and hence any move back to the Blasters is highly unlikely.

#2 Bartholomew Ogbeche - NorthEast United

NorthEast United waited five seasons to make their first-ever playoffs and when they did, everyone expected the club to retain coach Eelco Schattorie. But, the management couldn't convince him to stay, and with him left another prominent name in striker Bartholomew Ogbeche.

The Nigerian striker scored 12 goals and became the club’s all-time top scorer in a single season. Thus, it was natural to expect the management to retain his services.

Having joined Kerala, the 35-year-old scored 15 goals in 16 games and led the side from the front. The club finished seventh, mostly due to the individual heroics of their skipper.

Ogbeche’s departure meant NorthEast had to bring an equally skilled striker on-board and though they did so in the form of Asamoah Gyan, an injury cut his campaign short. The Highlanders struggled miserably in front of goal as none of their other strikers managed to replicate the performances of their predecessor.

If Ogbeche had decided to wear the colours of NorthEast for another season, the story would have been different. The forward recently extended his stay with the Blasters, thereby ruling out any chance of returning to NEUFC.

#1 Miku - Bengaluru FC

No team in the ISL would be missing a former player as much as Bengaluru FC miss Miku. The Venezuelan joined BFC before the 2017/18 season and played 32 ISL matches.

In his first season, Miku scored 15 goals in 20 matches and formed a formidable partnership up top with Sunil Chhetri (14 goals). In the next season, the striker played only 12 games but scored five goals and registered four assists. Even when he did not score, the 34-year-old was an invaluable asset on the field as he could instil a sense of threat in the opposition's mind.

Bengaluru signed Manuel Onwu as Miku's replacement but he could not replicate his predecessor's exploits. Onwu failed to find the back of the net in any of his six games.

The club then had to sign three players midway through the season - Deshorn Brown, Nili Perdomo and Kevaughn Frater - to solve their attacking woes.

Still, Carles Cuadrat's side missed Miku as they were more or less wasteful in front of goal. Even Sunil Chhetri wasn't at his natural best after being forced to take up additional duties in the absence of Miku and due to the failure of his supporting cast.

The striker's contract with Cypriot club Omonia Nikosia is reportedly set to end this season but a second stint in India looks highly unlikely.

Edited by Zaid Khan