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The 2018-19 season of the ISL and I-League saw some transfers which left the fans astounded. The previous I-League champions Minerva Punjab saw a mass exodus of talent with Kasim Aidara, Kamalpreet Singh, and Rakshit Dagar joining East Bengal and Chencho Gyeltshen penning the deal with Bengaluru FC.
Within the ISL, John Johnson and Manuel Lanzarote shifted their gears from Bengaluru and FC Goa respectively to ATK, while others like Robbie Keane and Henrique Sereno left the Indian shores. And, within the I-League, Willis Plaza and Khalid Aucho shifted their loyalty to Churchill Brothers from East Bengal whereas Henry Kisekka joined Mohun Bagan's ranks from Gokulam FC.
With another season coming to an end, expect some groundbreaking transfers to happen in the summer as the clubs go to an off-season. Here are the top 5 ISL and I-League stars who are expected to leave their respective clubs the next season.
#5 Jobby Justin (East Bengal FC)
East Bengal unearthed a gem the previous season when they scouted and successfully signed Jobby Justin from Kerala. The 25-year-old was playing for the Kerala State Electricity Board in the Kerala Premier League and Sevens football in his native state before the Red and Golds came calling.
In his first season under the tutelage of Khalid Jamil, Jobby managed to find the back of the net only twice in nine matches. But, when the mantle shifted to Alejandro Menendez's hands the next season, Jobby's striking form hit its peak. He scored nine goals in 17 appearances to finish as the highest Indian goalscorer in both ISL and I-League combined.
The sad news for East Bengal fans is that his contract is running over this season and, the big fish in the transfer market, ATK, have already splurged their money. The Quess management is trying their best to keep Jobby in their ranks but, only time will where his next adventure would be.
#4 Edu Garcia (ATK)
Edu Garcia made his first foray into the Indian waters in the 2017-18 season when he penned the deal with Bengaluru FC. The former Real Zaragoza player bagged 2 goals and 5 assists in the 14 matches he played in the ISL.
Surprisingly, the 27-year-old didn't renew his contract with the current defending champions and went further east to sign with Chinese Second Division club Zhejiang Greentown FC. However, things didn't work out for him there and, it was only a matter of time before Edu Garcia came back to India.
ATK signed him in the winter transfer window to bolster their chances of finishing inside the top 4. While that didn't materialize, Edu Garcia showed the Indian football fans what they were missing by scoring 2 goals and bagging 3 assists in only 6 matches. With Super Cup being the only tournament left for ATK and his contract running out after that, it remains to be seen if he goes to some other uncharted territory or stay back in India with a new club.
#3 Marcelinho (FC Pune City)
Marcelinho wreaked havoc for Delhi Dynamos in the 2016 season of the ISL when he first struck his foot in India. Scoring 10 goals and bagging 5 assists in 15 matches, the Brazilian became the highest goalscorer in that season but couldn't help them win the title.
The next season FC Pune City came calling and, he didn't disappoint them either. In the 17 matches he played for the Stallions in the 2017-18 season, Marcelinho scored 8 goals and bagged 7 assists, helping them to finish fourth in the table. Moreover, his influence in the game was so profound that whenever he scored FC Pune City never lost the game.
The club management rewarded him with a one-year contract extension but he failed to guide them to even a top 6 finish. Now that his contract is over and FC Pune City aren't doing well financially, Marcelinho might not sign an extension and ply his trade for some other clubs in India.
#2 Edu Bedia (FC Goa)
FC Goa signed Edu Bedia to complete their quota of foreign players in the 2017-18 season but little did they know that the former Racing Santander player would go on to be such a pivotal figure in the team. In his first season, he played a little deep. As a result, he could score only one goal and bagged 2 assists in 18 matches he was a part of.
However, in the next season, Edu Bedia's stock rose exponentially. Having scored 7 goals and bagged 5 assists in 20 matches, the Spaniard was a constant threat in the opposition defense. Moreover, he has a passing accuracy of 82.84%, a figure difficult to achieve if one is playing just behind the striker.
Sergio Lobera bought Zaid Krouch from Morocco to FC Goa in the winter transfer window, who also happens to play in the same position behind that of a striker. Perhaps, the signing was an indication that he would be let go the next season so that Zaid Krouch can fill in his shoes.
#1 Miku (Bengaluru FC)
Miku came to India, after playing in the Qatar Stars League with Al-Gharafa SC. And, before that, he plied his trade in numerous European clubs like Celtic, Valencia, Rayo Vallecano, and Getafe. The Venezuelan justified his billing by notching up 20 goals in 24 matches, leading them to win the 2018 Super Cup and finish runners-up in the ISL.
However, in the next season, he suffered from an ankle injury and was out for two months. Despite his unavailability, Bengaluru FC continued scoring goals through their makeshift strikers and managed to keep their unbeaten streak intact heading into the international break.
However, Miku's contract is getting over and the Venezuelan even hinted a move to South America. Now, that Bengaluru FC has proven that they could find their way without Miku, he might be let go. But, the bigger question of whether he will continue in India remains.
