ISL 2017/18: 5 highest paid players in the Indian Super League

The ISL has been home to some of the world's best players over the course of its four years in existence, making it a unique mix of local and foreign talent that has been widely noticed on the world stage.

One of the reasons that the ISL continues to attract some of the world's best players even now is the ability to be able to pay huge sums of money to top players for them to either kick-start their careers or perhaps call it a day in the Indian subcontinent.

Not generally considered a common place to play football, India wouldn't normally be the go-to option for any established footballer to further his playing career. However, all that has changed after the ISL's magnetic pull egged on by fans and league management alike.

There is no doubt that the fans play a major role in bringing a player to a club, but the deciding factor is most often than not, the ability of the club to meet the monetary demands of the player.

In just a few years time, ISL has managed to put forth a lucrative economic plan in place for its players and the results are there for all to see. So here are some of the highest paid players in the ISL today:

#5 Emiliano Alfaro - $318,479 (Rs 2.02 Cr)

Life in India has been fairly conducive to the demands of Uruguayan star Emiliano Alfaro. The 29-year-old made his name in his native country with Uruguayan club Liverpool and later earned a move to Lazio. He joined ISL in 2016 and immediately made waves at NorthEast United.

A flurry of goals soon followed, and after a brief spell out of the country, Alfaro is back in India with FC Pune City where the goals seem to be flowing again. His fee seems valid looking at the goals he scores and the Pune faithful wouldn't mind him earning the big bucks as long as he ensures the back of the net keeps bulging on a regular basis.

#4 Marcelinho - $324,979 (₹2.07 Cr.)

Another FC Pune City player joins this list with Marcelinho being one of the highest paid footballers currently in the ISL. The official numbers appear to be well above the Rs 2 crore mark for a player whose influence at the club is rising with every game.

His output this season from the wing position has been vital to the hopes of the club and with previous ISL experience from Delhi Dynamos behind him, the Brazilian's inclusion has benefited the ISL as a whole in a big way. He's certainly making enough money to do his talent justice and as long as the performances continue to keep up, the money should be overlooked.

#3 Dimitar Berbatov - $358,492 (₹2.2 crore)

Every Indian football fan was excited when Dimitar Berbatov decided to make India his home for five months. After all, this was the former top scorer of the biggest club in the world Manchester United and a pedigreed striker, to say the least.

However, Kerala fans have been left disappointed by the Bulgarian's injury woes and inability to hit the ground running in a yellow shirt. The former Spurs and Man Utd man has only played six games in the ISL so far without a goal to show for his troubles. Despite the lack of performances, however, Berbatov firmly remains one of the favourites among the fiercely loyal Kerala Blasters fans.

#2 Robbie Keane - $400,000 (₹2.5 crore)

Former Liverpool and Spurs striker Robbie Keane made the much-anticipated move to India this past summer and with it came plenty of money and plenty of expectations from the Irishman, who has proved himself in Europe and perhaps needed to revitalise his career in the subcontinent.

However injuries has been a constant blip on the Keane radar and since making the move to ATK, that his injury problems seem to have persisted. Despite scoring twice in four games, the lack of playing time continues to be a concern as the club struggles to win matches, in what is turning out to be a shabby title defence.

#1 Miku - $499,930 (₹3.17 crore)

Miku may not have the credentials of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, but the Venezuelan is actually the highest paid player in the ISL, which may surprise a few. The striker has been prolific since joining Bengaluru FC and his performances already make him seem like a bargain for a team making their ISL debut.

His international pedigree is notable too, with several big performances for his country and with the Bengaluru team currently at the top of the ISL table, Miku will hope to add the trophy to his moniker of being the highest paid ISL player this season.