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The off-season is a good time for Indian Super League clubs to prepare for the league season that usually begins in October every year. However, owing to the COVI9-19 pandemic, the ISL is likely to start in the latter half of November this year.
Many big businesses have suffered due to the global health crisis and have subsequently released employees from their payroll, with several companies even shutting down offices. The financial muscle of the big Indian Super League clubs, however, doesn't seem to have waned off as they continue to invest big in new players.
Some big names of world football are coming to India and are following in the footsteps of 2018-19 A-League top scorer Roy Krishna, who lifted the prestigious ISL trophy in his first season with ATK. Star names in Indian football are also changing their clubs, with long-time club captains Mandar Rao Dessai and Sandesh Jhingan leaving FC Goa and Kerala Blasters FC, respectively.
With that in mind, let's look at the five biggest transfers signed off in this transfer window so far.
#5 Subhasish Bose (ATK Mohun Bagan FC)
Subhasish Bose has signed for three-time champions and reigning holders ATK Mohun Bagan FC on a five-year contract that will keep him at the club till 2025.
The talented 25-year-old has been part of the ISL playoffs with two different teams in two consecutive seasons. In the 2017-18 season, he missed out on the ISL trophy by a whisker as Chennaiyin FC edged Bengaluru FC 3-2 in the final. Bose once again fell short the next season as Mumbai City FC were romped 5-2 by FC Goa in the semi-final. He saw his old club, Bengaluru FC, eventually winning the ISL title that season.
The left-back represented Mohun Bagan in 2017 and will be donning the same shirt colours in the upcoming season of the ISL. He will certainly be looking to finally lay his hands on the trophy and help ATK Mohun Bagan FC win their first title as the rechristened franchise.
#4 Nerijus Valskis (Jamshedpur FC)
Nerijus Valskis has followed his former head coach Owen Coyle from Chenniayin FC to Jamshedpur FC ahead of the 2020-21 season of the ISL.
The 2019-20 ISL Golden Boot winner scored 15 goals and contributed 6 assists in 20 matches. However, his side's run ended with a heartbreak in the final as his goal went in vain as ATK came out 3-1 victorious from the match.
A similar tactic was deployed by Eelco Schattorie when he moved from NorthEast United to Kerala Blasters. He took his top scorer and the league Golden Boot winner Bartholomew Ogbeche with him to the new club. It didn't end well for Schattorie as he got sacked by the season's end. However, Coyle can certainly put a good squad together with a couple of new signings in defence.
The 33-year-old will be helped out by new signing Jackichand Singh and the Spanish midfield trio of Aitor Monroy, Noe Acosta and Piti as he looks to retain his Golden Boot in the 2020-21 season.
#3 Nishu Kumar (Kerala Blasters FC)
Kerala Blasters fans have been looking forward to seeing another new manager in the dugout. Their dreams appear to have come true as 2019-20 I-League winning manager Kibu Vicuna is set to take charge of the Yellow Army this upcoming season.
Nishu Kumar is the first big signing for the new manager as he tries to build a new team and instil a new philosophy in the young squad. The 22-year-old left-back signed a four-year contract that made him the highest-paid Indian defender.
The Bengaluru FC academy product drew the ire of fans when he quit the club that qualified for the ISL playoffs for three consecutive seasons to join one that hasn't qualified for the playoffs since the league has been expanded to 10 teams.
Kumar would be hoping to settle at his new club quickly and will be keen on proving the club right for making him the highest-paid Indian defender. However, it remains to be seen if he will be able to get the support of the passionate Manjappada fans in this season of the ISL.
#2 Igor Angulo (FC Goa)
The FC Goa squad that previously instilled fear on opposition teams has disbanded this season, with the head coach, long-time skipper, and the club's all-time top-scorer leaving the club.
Ferran Corominas, the top-scorer in ISL history, has ended his association with the club. However, FC Goa have moved in to make a like-for-like replacement as they replaced an experienced Spanish centre-forward with another experienced Spanish centre-forward.
Igor Angulo is in the form of his life as he has made 77 goal contributions in 106 league matches in the last three seasons of Ekstraklasa, the first tier of Polish football. He scored 63 goals and laid off 14 assists for his teammates and would be looking to repeat his exploits in the Indian Super League.
Angulo would be looking to link-up with his new teammates in Brandon Fernandes, Redeem Tiang, Jorge Ortiz, Edu Bedia, Ivan Gonzalez and Seriton Fernandes. He will also be keen to help the club and his new manager Juan Ferrando to succeed in both the ISL and the AFC Champions League.
#1 Hugo Boumous (Mumbai City FC)
Hugo Boumous move from FC Goa to Mumbai City FC will always be remembered as a transfer that changed it all for Indian football. The Islanders shelled out Rs. 1.6 crores for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder in a market that often relies on free transfers to even sign the top players in the league.
Sergio Lobera decided to move on from FC Goa to Mumbai City FC as he looks to stamp his brand of attacking football on another top ISL club. Under Lobera, Goa scored 82 goals in 36 matches, wrecking opposition teams at their home stadiums and often making ISL managers nervous ahead of a trip to the Fatorda Stadium.
With Lobera, former FC Goa skipper Mandar Rao Dessai also decided to join the Mumbai-based club. Boumous has now also followed the duo north to the film city. Moreover, there are rumours that Coro might join Mumbai City FC, thereby assembling the old band back in a new environment.
Boumous scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in just 14 league matches, helping the Gaurs seal their qualification for the 2021 AFC Champions League.
