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After finally reaching an agreement with Emami over the investor situation, East Bengal on Wednesday, August 3, announced the signing of 13 domestic players who would be constituting their senior squad ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Red and Gold Brigade, with new investors onboard, have been moving quickly to make the most of the summer transfer window. With Stephen Constantine as their head coach and Bino George as his assistant, the Torchbearers have already shown clear intent in the transfer market. Now they've also acquired some serious talent.
New signings, as announced by the club in a press release, include: Pawan Kumar, Mohammad Rakip, Subhashis Roy Chowdhury, Sarthak Golui, Ankit Mukherjee, Souvik Chakrabarti, Mobashir Rahman, Wahengbam Angousana Luwang, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Aniket Jadhav, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and finally V.P. Suhair.
Unlike in recent years, most of the players on the list in East Bengal are more than capable of playing in the top-tier of Indian football.
However, two of the biggest names acquired by the 103-year-old club will have to be Jadhav and Suhair. Both are proven entities in the Indian Super League (ISL). Former Hyderabad FC forward Jadhav was pivotal in his then club's title-winning run in the 2021-22 season. He appeared in 20 matches, snapping up two goals and three assists.
Meanwhile, VP Suhair was the brightest spark in the attacking department of NorthEast United FC in an otherwise forgettable season. The Palakkad-born player made 19 appearances for the Highlanders, scoring four goals and two assists. Suhair had previously played for East Bengal in the 2017-18 season before an ankle injury cut short his stay.
But now the 30-year-old looks to be in the form of his life and could be instrumental for the Red and Gold Brigade next season.
East Bengal have managed to find a neat balance between youth and experience
The Kolkata giants will definitely need some work on and off the pitch to fight the top dogs after two consecutive disastrous seasons in the ISL. But this year, even though they're still late to the team building party, East Bengal have managed to strike a neat balance between youth and experience.
While the likes of Mohammad Rakip, Sarthak Golui, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Amarjit Singh, Aniket Jadhav, and Naorem Mahesh Singh will provide a touch of youthful exuberance, the likes of Souvik, Subhashis and Suhair bring in the matured level-headedness. Furthermore, the youngsters East Bengal have invested in are brewing with potential and not just squad fillers.
While the change in approach is seemingly a positive one in this new era, fans of the Red and Gold Brigade will be hoping and praying with bated breath.
