ISL 2020-21: Top 4 overseas players on long-term contracts this season

Iain Hume was one of the first few overseas players in the ISL

Historically, the Indian Super League (ISL) has seen overseas players perform rather well. With the likes of Marcelinho and Coro topping the charts in goal-scoring and Hugo Boumous leading the list of assists, overseas players have found a lot of success.

In recent seasons, the recruitment of players for different clubs across the ISL has been impressive. The upcoming season will witness the likes of Adam le Fondre, Bakary Kone and Gary Hooper playing in the league. All of them have played top-flight football in the recent past.

There are also a few who have managed to secure long-term contracts with certain clubs. Let's take a look at four players who have signed contracts for two or more years in this season of ISL:

#1 Vicente Gomez (Kerala Blasters)

Spanish midfielder Vicente Gomez comes into a Kerala Blasters outfit that has been lacking sharpness in the last two seasons. The 32-year-old is an important signing for Kibu Vicuna, given his versatility across the midfield and in defensive roles.

Gomez has signed a three-year contract with the Blasters and will be expected to see out his contract in India. Having been a major part of the Las Palmas side that secured promotion to the La Liga a few seasons back, Vicente Gomez will be hoping to replicate the same form he showed in Spain.

#2 Cole Alexander (Odisha FC)

Cole Alexander is one of the few overseas players in the ISL who has played for his national side in the recent past. The 31-year-old has signed a two-year deal with ISL side Odisha FC as Stuart Baxter looks to add a bit of energy to his midfield unit. The deal will keep him at the club until the end of the 2022 season.

Alexander is the first-ever South Africa-born player to play in the Indian top-flight. A lot will be expected of him and he will be slotting in alongside Vinit Rai and Nanda Kumar.

#3 Hugo Boumous (Mumbai City FC)

The previous season witnessed the rise of Hugo Boumous as the lynchpin of the FC Goa midfield. The 25-year-old Frenchman bagged the most number of assists last season playing alongside the likes of Coro, Jackichand Singh and Ahmed Jahouh.

Boumous will appear for Mumbai City FC in the 2020/21 season and will reunite with his former FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera. Mumbai City have perhaps the most formidable attack with Adam le Fondre, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Hugo Boumous, and Ahmed Jahouh. The Frenchman has signed a two-year deal with The Islanders following his move from FC Goa.

#4 Edu Garcia (ATK Mohun Bagan)

Edu Garcia made a fantastic first impression not just on Indian football, but on Asian football as well, courtesy of a few sizzling performances with Bengaluru FC. He was soon transferred to Chinese club Zhejiang Greentown before making his way back into the ISL fold.

The 30-year-old Spaniard is also one of the many players from ATK who have been retained for the novel ATK Mohun Bagan. He has signed a two-year contract with the club and will be expected to reprise his role as a playmaker to create goals for sharpshooters Roy Krishna and David Williams.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee