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The 2017-18 Indian Super League season will feature a lot of new faces when it kicks off on 17th November. With the exception of NorthEast United, every other ISL franchise has signed players left, right and centre and two-time losing finalists Kerala Blasters have really splashed the cash this summer.
The Men in Yellow have completed the acquisitions of seven foreign players apart from the domestic players they roped in during last month's ISL draft, and big names galore in the Blasters' squad for ISL 2017-18.
New head coach Rene Meulensteen has seemingly been handed a free rein in matters of recruitment, leading to the Blasters signing a host of big-name players, aside from a couple of talented youngsters. With the new ISL campaign set to be an extended affair, it is the battle-hardened players who will be key in leading any team past the finish line. Here, we take a look at the top five foreign signings made by Kerala Blasters this summer.
#5 Nemanja Lakic-Pesic
The fact Lakic-Pesic played 34 games during the 2016-17 season points to the fact that Kerala Blasters have signed a player who is at the top of his game. The 25-year-old might not be the flashiest addition to the Blasters squad this summer, but the central defender is as important as the likes of Iain Hume and Dimitar Berbatov.
While Wes Brown couldn't be expected to play every minute next season, it will be Lakic-Pesic who will be the main man alongside Sandesh Jhingan in the Blasters defence, if Meulensteen's preferred setups are anything to go by. The Dutch coach normally favours a two-man central defensive pairing, hence Lakic-Pesic will be a key cog in the Blasters defence. That the Serbian assumes so much importance in Kerala Blasters' scheme of things next season sees him among the top foreign signings done so far by the Men in Yellow.
#4 Courage Pekuson
While Pekuson's signing might have gone under the radar owing to the big names that have arrived, the Ghanaian could be the surprise package of next season's ISL. The 22-year-old, who played at Slovenian outfit FC Koper before joining Kerala Blasters, is blessed with searing pace and an eye for goal which could make him tick well with the likes of Berbatov and Hume in attack.
Pekuson follows David Addy, Francis Dadzie and Richard Gadze as the fourth Ghanaian to join the ISL, and should he follow Gadze's lead, Kerala Blasters fans could have an exciting season on the cards. Having already seen crowd favourite Kervens Belfort head to Jamshedpur FC, Pekuson could be the one to fill the void left by the exciting Haitian.
#3 Wes Brown
Another former Manchester United player, Brown comes to India with immense experience of elite-level football. While he may not be an automatic starter considering he is now 37, Brown's valuable inputs could be priceless for someone like Sandesh Jhingan, the newly-appointed India captain.
A veteran of 308 Premier League matches and five English top-flight titles, Brown could be as influential as Aaron Hughes, the Irishman who led the Blasters to the final last season with a defence that was unbreachable at times. Brown, like Berbatov, will reunite with a familiar face in Meulensteen and will be expected to play a big role in the Dutch coach's implementation of ideas at Kerala Blasters.
#2 Iain Hume
Possibly this summer's best foreign signing with previous ISL experience, Hume brings energy, tenacity, and goals to the Blasters attack which will complement Berbatov's vision of a genius. Hume has a proven ISL track record and is the best import the popular franchise league has had in its short history.
The Canadian international has scored 23 ISL goals so far in three seasons playing for the Blasters and ATK and will be expected to start from where he left last season. Hume is hugely popular in Kochi, where Kerala Blasters are based out of, and his return to the club this summer was the biggest move for the Men in Yellow until the Berbatov deal happened.
#1 Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian legend hasn't played competitive football for over a year now but his signing by the Blasters is a significant statement of intent from the club. Berbatov is a veteran of 229 Premier League appearances and 154 Bundesliga matches, scoring 162 goals in the two top European leagues. He also had a spell with Monaco in the French top flight, impressing in his two-season long stay at the club by netting 13 goals in 38 games.
Berbatov's goalscoring pedigree is enough to mark him as the best ISL signing this summer, but his style of play suggests that he could be a major influence at his new club next season. The 2017-18 ISL will be more competitive than ever before, but Berbatov is a double Premier League champion and knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a championship, hence he tops this list.
