What does East Bengal need to do in winter transfer window?

East Bengal have lost their star midfielder Madih Talal due to an ACL injury.

East Bengal have had a highly erratic 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) heading into 2025, resulting in many chops and changes. The Red & Gold Brigade lost their first six straight ISL matches before recovering under Oscar Bruzon and need to have a solid second half of the campaign to aspire to make it to the ISL playoffs.

To do so, there is a need for them to improve their squad and look into some of the shortcomings that are holding back the team from competing at a higher level. Oscar Bruzon needs more support from the upper management in the upcoming winter transfer window to help elevate his squad’s quality and make a stronger push for the playoffs going forward.

How the season is going?

East Bengal went into the ISL 2024-25 campaign with a lot of expectations, with it being their second campaign under Carles Cuadrat. They also made a statement of intent in the summer window with some statement signings, elevating the fans’ hopes of seeing them competing among the top four teams in the division.

But they started to get a dose of reality from the get-go. East Bengal lost their first six games on the trot, including gutting defeats to FC Goa and Mohun Bagan. Oscar Bruzon’s arrival as Cuadrat’s replacement has helped stabilize the ship a little bit and at least get them out of the bottom of the table.

East Bengal have won four of their last six matches under Bruzon, including wins over Punjab FC and Jamshedpur FC. But the Spanish gaffer realizes the importance of winning matches more consistently for East Bengal to get closer to the teams vying for a top-6 spot.

How are the summer signings performing?

The Torchbearers were pretty proactive in the 2024 summer window, working hard to significantly improve Carles Cuadrat’s squad. They worked quickly after the 2023-24 ISL campaign ended, signing last season’s ISL Golden Boot winner Dimitrios Diamantakos on a free transfer. They also signed the prolific Madih Talal after he impressed for Punjab FC last season.

East Bengal also improved their backline with the signing of Hector Yuste on a free transfer after he had left Mohun Bagan. Their biggest signing, however, was the controversial one of Anwar Ali. They signed him as a free agent after he ended up loan spell with Mohun Bagan for a move to their rivals. East Bengal also improved their midfield with Jeakson Singh’s signing from Kerala Blasters.

When it comes to the impact of the summer signings, that has been a bit of a mixed bag. Ali has arguably been the most effective signing, helping them maintain one of the best defensive records in the ISL and producing impressive performances after a shaky start. Dimitrios Diamantakos has scored just three goals in the ISL and struggled with injuries.

Talal had a few nice performances before picking up a season-ending injury in their 2-1 loss to Odisha FC at home. Yuste has produced a few solid performances with Ali by his side but has also been troubled with fitness issues.

Jeakson struggled under Cuadrat’s system but has looked more energetic and efficient under Bruzon. He’s getting better with every passing month and has two goals in the ISL too. Provat Lakra has provided some proactive performances, while Debjit Majumder has only made a handful of appearances.

David Lalhlansanga, who arrived from Mohammedan Sporting, has two ISL goals and has struggled with consistency. Mark Zothanpuia and Nishu Kumar have struggled with injuries and have hardly gotten game-time since arriving.

Strengths and Weaknesses

East Bengal have at least proven themselves as a defensively stubborn unit, despite having lost seven games in 13 ISL matches so far. The Red & Gold Brigade have kept four clean sheets, the third-highest for teams in the first half of the campaign. They also conceded just 17 goals in 13 matches, well lower than those around them in the ISL table.

Oscar Bruzon has definitely made them a defensively solid unit, who are able to maintain a sturdy shape and frustrate opponents. Wearing teams out or making things difficult for them in the attack has become their speciality.

But East Bengal have shown more worrying signs than promising ones so far in the ISL. They have struggled for goals in key matches, despite being able to create a bunch of chances in matches. The Red & Gold Brigade’s frontline has lacked that cutting edge or ruthlessness that is needed for an ISL side to compete for a playoff spot.

East Bengal have also found it hard to properly implement a counter-attacking style in matches. On too many occasions, their players have botched opportunities on the break, something that has directly impacted results in the wrong way for them.

What they need in the winter transfer window

The Red & Gold Brigade need to resolve some of their burning issues in the winter transfer market. The biggest requirement is to find a replacement for the injured Talal. They need to find an influential attacking player who can probably fill that creative requirement in the team. East Bengal can benefit from signing a versatile attacking midfielder who can even operate as a winger.

Bruzon would probably love to sign one of his ex-players from Bashundhara Kings, but that can prove to be difficult. He needs his management to work hard on securing a prolific option who can not only consistently create chances but uplift their goal-scoring prowess too.

East Bengal should probably also look for a vibrant domestic midfielder who can add more control and attacking quality to their unit. Their midfield line has been stretched thin by injuries and there is a need to bulk it up with quality options that can be rotated with the current players.

The Red & Gold Brigade also need to invest in a new natural left-back. Lalchungnunga has mostly played as a makeshift left-back this season, which is holding East Bengal back from properly attacking down the left wing. An energetic, attack-minded left-back can help them create more chances through the left flank and increase their impact from that side.

East Bengal have to be quick and efficient in sealing their transfer market in the January window. If able to get some quality players into the squad quickly, Bruzon can probably use them to solve some of the overwhelming needs in his squad and get them to lodge a stronger push for a place in the playoffs.

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