Transfer Saga: How East Bengal fared in the current transfer window?

East Bengal has signed a total of 16 players so far

East Bengal FC had a big summer transfer window for the 2023/24 season. During this time, they attempted to build a squad that is capable of challenging for one of the top six spots in the league. Carles Cuadrat was hired as the head coach, and Dimad Delgado was hired as his assistant coach.

This was all made possible after finally reaching an agreement with Emami regarding the investor situation. The historic club has not been able to transfer their success from the I-League into the ISL so far, despite the fact that they dominated the I-League throughout the majority of their time playing in the competition.

With new investors on board, the Red and Gold Brigade has been working rapidly to take advantage of the summer transfer window. The Torchbearers have already made their intentions known in the transfer market with Carles Cuadrat as their head coach and Dimas serving as his assistant. They now have additionally got some impressive talent for the upcoming ISL campaign.

This article will delve into the latest additions to the Red and Gold Brigade going into the upcoming season.

East Bengal's Transfer Market so far

East Bengal has been rather active in the transfer market and has lavished money on hiring some the highest quality players. A total of 16 players have been signed by the club so far, three of them are Spanish alongside some notable Indian talents. Compared to their prior success, their first few competition seasons in the Indian Super League (ISL) have been utterly disappointing. They have now concentrated on developing a squad that is capable of performing at a higher level as they have a new manager in charge this season.

Following the appointment of Carles Cuadrat as the new head coach, Edwin Sydney Vanspaul and Saul Crespo have joined the team. This time around, East Bengal has demonstrated incredible commitment in the transfer market, and their desire to assemble a team that lives up to their former grandeur is clearly evident. The newcomers will have time to become acquainted with the other players and a whole preseason to settle in and develop a coordinated pattern that works for them this season.

The Torch Bearers have improved their defence by getting 29-year-old Australian centre back Jordan Elsey from A-League club Perth Glory. East Bengal has also bought Javi Siverio from Hyderabad FC. Like Borja Herrera, Siverio is from Spain, and he and Borja Herrera were on the same team. This coming season, the forward will play for the Red and Golds and wearing number 99. He will be a key part of their attack. Last season, the team faced some serious difficulties to score goals, but Sivero was able to score five goals in 20 games, even though he didn't play much for Hyderabad FC. So, it will be expected of him in the coming season that he will help them score more goals than the last season.

Nandha Kumar Singh has also signed a three-year contract extension till 2026, and he will be an excellent addition to the team for the upcoming season. He scored eleven goals and helped Odisha win their first ever piece of silverware in the Hero Super Cup in 2022-23, and he now has a new task with the Kolkata club and where he already has started proving his worth. East Bengal also signed Mandar Rao Dessai on a free transfer alongside Nishu Kumar. The full-back's amazing ability to play on either wing will no doubt benefit East Bengal's both in terms of defensive and offensive statistics.

Arrivals for EB this season: Saul Crespo, Javier Siverio, Borja Herrera, Nandhakumar Sekar, Mandar Rao Dessai, Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Harmanjot Khabra, Gursimrat Singh Gill, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Nishu Kumar, Gurnaj Singh Grewal, Vanlalpeka Guite, Ajay Chhetri, Julfikar Gazi

Departures for EB this season: Jake Jervis, Ankit Mukherjee, Jordan O’Doherty, Alex Lima, Charalambos Kyriakou, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Semboi Haokip, Sumeet Passi, Suvam Sen, Wahengbam Angousana Luwang, Pawan Kumar, Sarthak Golui, Ivan Gonzalez

This season's squad already started to win hearts

After few consecutively terrible ISL seasons, the Kolkata giants will undoubtedly need to improve both on and off the pitch if they are to compete with the best. East Bengal, however, have managed to establish a nice balance between youth and experience this year, despite the fact that they are still late to the squad building party.

And this year's team along with the inclusion of their new boss has already started winning hearts of thousands of Red and Gold fans after their performance in the Durand Cup 2023. East Bengal FC crowned the Runners-up of the 132nd edition of the Durand Cup on Sunday at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan after they got behind of one goal against their arch rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giants in the cup finals.

Fans of the Red and Gold Brigade will be anticipating and praying with keen anticipation despite the fact that the shift in their approach is already apparent and appears to be a good one ahead of ISL 2023/24 season.