ISL 2017/18: 5 players whom their clubs shouldn't have let go of

The Indian Super League (ISL) has set the ball rolling for Indian football since its inception in 2014 and a lot has happened in the four years of the cash-rich league's existence. We have seen ATK lift the crown twice, Chennaiyin FC enjoyed a staggering 2015 season, and we have seen marquee players coming and going.

During this period, if there is one thing that has remained constant it has been the need for existing ISL clubs to revitalize and rejuvenate their squads for each new season. But with the 2017/18 edition demanding a longer schedule, keeping a fresh group of players became more vital than ever.

Debutants Bengaluru FC have been especially efficient in having a strong well-balanced squad and have benefited from the same, sitting comfortably atop the league table. But even they have been guilty of perhaps letting go of some of their key stars.

In a developing football-region such as India, keeping top players is never easy, and some clubs have come to rue the decision to sell their mainstays. So here are 5 players whom their clubs shouldn't have let go of:

#5 Adilson Goiano

NorthEast United FC haven't been prolific in the ISL to say the very least. The Highlanders have struggled to get going this season as they have in most of their previous campaigns since 2014. The fact that they keep selling their top players makes matters worse as was proved late last year when the club decided to part ways with Brazilian Adilson Goiano.

The midfielder had only just joined NorthEast and played just four games for the side before being let go of on mutual consent. The former Arouca player was brought in to inject creativity in midfield and provide an attacking threat for a team looking to make their mark, but it all ended too soon for fans' liking.

#4 Wayne Vaz

Indian players are, more often than not, one of the most treasured possessions of a football team manager in the ISL and if one moulds them the right way, one really can hit gold. Wayne Vaz is one such mouldable talent who just didn't get enough opportunities to prove himself and FC Pune City could very well regret the decision to send him out on loan to Churchill Brothers in the I-League.

As versatile as it gets, the promising Indian player is primarily a centre-back but can transform into a right-back with ease and even an attacking player when called upon. A manager's dream, it seems awfully harsh on the player to make such few appearances and it could come back to haunt the Pune team.

#3 Njazi Kuqi

Seasoned veteran Njazi Kuqi is next on this list and considering how ATK are currently faring in the ISL, it is fair to assume that the club missed out on a chance to make their big-money signing relevant in the short span that he played in India.

The striker made only six appearances for the team and did manage to score during that time but was soon left frustrated by the lack of ambition at the club and decided to move on. An impressive CV behind him, Kuqi certainly deserved more of an opportunity at ATK to show his class and this decision proves that the club has some thinking to do.

#2 Edu Garcia

There isn't a lot that Bengaluru FC have done wrong this season and one could argue that they've been near perfect in their debut ISL term. One of the major calls the club made was bringing in the midfield class of Edu Garcia to Bengaluru and it turned out brilliantly for the free-scoring side with the Spaniard providing assists and goals on the pitch.

However, the club has since decided to part ways with Edu on what appear to be very good terms with Bengaluru FC receiving a substantial sum of money from Chinese League One outfit Zhejiang Lucheng to secure his services. Only time will tell if this was a good move or not, but fans of the Indian team will be disappointed they didn't see more of the Spaniard.

#1 Mark Sifneos

Mark Sifneos came into the ISL as a relative unknown but lit up the league with Kerala Blasters in a team that boasted of strikers such as Dimitar Berbatov and Iain Hume. With four goals and one assist in twelve appearances, he was becoming a crowd favourite but a rift with the club meant that the Blasters had to let go of the striker in very unnecessary circumstances.

The 21-year-old has some serious talent in him and it begs the question of whether the Kerala management could have come to some sort of an understanding to keep the player at the club for a longer period of time.