A look at East Bengal's foreign contingent for ISL 2026-27
The Red and Gold Brigade have recruited eight foreign signings this summer so far.
East Bengal FC, the defending champions of the Indian Super League will look to defend their title this season. The 2026-27 ISL season is set to start from October 10, 2026. With 13 teams, the competition will resume in its classic home-and-away format, giving clubs the chance to play both home and away games against rivals.
The Torchbearers have completely revamped their foreign contingent from the last season following the departure of players like, Kevin Sibille, Miguel Figueira and Youssef Ezzejjari. The only foreigner continuing with the ISL champions from the previous season is their captain, Mohammed Rashid.
However, they have made seven new foreign signings so far, taking their foreign contingent to eight, although it will be interesting to see which six foreigners are registered for the ISL 2026-27 season.
Spanish defender Nacho Monsalve’s recent injury in Durand Cup 2026 and former Punjab FC forward Nsungusi Effiong’s uncertain participation could also influence the final foreign contingent for the Torchbearers. However, Khel Now confirmed with an East Bengal official, that no foreign players have been deregistered yet and all eight foreigners still remain part of the squad with the club yet to take a decision.
In this article, we will take a look at the foreign contingent of East Bengal FC ahead of the 2026-27 season.
East Bengal FC’s Foreign Players 2026-27
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Łukasz Piotr Zwoliński
East Bengal have strengthened their squad with the signing of former Poland U-20 forward, Lukasz Zwolinski, ahead of the 2026-27 season. He comes in with a wealth of experience, having played over 200 games in the Ekstraklasa – the Polish top-tier league.
The 33-year-old will replace Youssef Ezzejjari as the centre-forward for the Red and Gold Brigade, with the former forward leaving the club after the end of the last season.
Zwoliński mostly grew up through the youth academy of Polish top-flight side Pogoń Szczecin for whom he played 120 times, scoring 25 goals and assisting nine times.
He has also represented the Polish U-20 team. Zwolinski is a forward who primarily operates as a striker and is right-footed and stands at 1.84 meters tall.
The striker arrives in India as a free agent after ending a short one-year spell with his previous Turkish club, Sakaryaspor. In the Sakaryaspor outfit, he made 24 league appearances and scored four goals in the Turkish 1. Lig last season in 2025-26.
A notable part of his career was at Lechia Gdańsk, where he scored 44 goals & made over 100 appearances. The Red and Gold attack will surely be strengthened by the addition of a prolific striker like Lukasz under Antonio Lopez Habas’ system in the new season.
- Age: 33
- Country of Birth: Poland
- Position: CF
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Played for: Pogoń Szczecin, Arka Gdynia, Górnik Łęczna, Śląsk Wrocław, Gorica, Lechia Gdańsk, Sakaryaspor.
Ake Arnaud Loba
Ivory Coast forward Ake Arnaud Loba is the newest addition to the East Bengal squad under the new system of Antonio Lopez Habas. The 28-year-old Ivorian definitely brings a ton of experience to the East Bengal squad – having played in notable competitions like the MLS and Liga MX in the past!
His years of playing in different challenging environments, has allowed Arnaud to grow as a forward and become a more complete player heading into his new journey at East Bengal.
The former Côte d’Ivoire U-20 international has also won the CONCACAF Champions League with Monterrey in 2021. Loba is expected to play a key role in featuring strongly for the Torchbearers in Asia, he will also be a proactive threat in the ISL as well.
During East Bengal’s victorious 2026 Durand Cup campaign, Antonio Habas demonstrated his preference for mobile players that can surprise opponents with their movement during crucial game moments.
Based on how the Ivorian striker moves around in the opposing half, Habas is undoubtedly getting a forward who can add that element of surprise in the attacking line with his sheer pace, poacher instinct, and swift link-up play with the midfielders and the wingers.
- Age: 28
- Country of Birth: Ivory Coast
- Position: CF
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Played for: C.F. Monterrey, Nashville SC, Querétaro FC, Mazatlán FC, Club Tijuana
Also Read: A look at Mohun Bagan’s foreign contingent for ISL 2026-27
Nsungusi Effiong
Nigerian striker Nsungusi Effiong has joined East Bengal ahead of the 2026-27 season. This comes after the departure of ISL 2025-26 golden boot winner Youssef Ezzejjari from the club.
The Nigerian striker makes his move to the champion side from Punjab FC as East Bengal FC look to build a competitive squad ahead of the ISL 2026-27 season.
Nsungusi Effiong is a 26-year-old Nigerian centre-forward who poses a constant goalscoring threat for the East Bengal squad. The Nigerian striker has already made 12 appearances for Punjab FC in the ISL 2025–26, logging 1018 minutes. In just 12 games, he has contributed nine goals out of which, two were assists, giving him a wealth of experience playing in India.
Effiong has also participated in a sizable number of games during his time at HB Koge in Danish club football’s second flight. Effiong, who is only 26 years old, has already gained experience playing in professional leagues in Romania, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Denmark, and Uzbekistan.
Effiong can be a valuable addition to the Torchbearers’ roster as they aim to have a great campaign in the ACL 2 and defend their title going into ISL 2026–27.
- Age: 26
- Country of Birth: Nigeria
- Position: CF
- Preferred Foot: Left
- Played for: Punjab FC, UTA Arad, Neftchi Fergana, HB Køge, Atyrau
Chris Ikonomidis
Australian forward Chris Ikonomidis has joined East Bengal FC ahead of the new season. Ikonomidis has well over a decade’s worth of experience of playing top-level football, having played across many countries in his career.
The 31-year-old is a versatile attacking player, who can operate as an attacking midfielder as well as a winger with relative ease – raising the unpredictability and overall threat of his side’s attacking prowess.
The Australian forward has played in multiple notable countries across his career and has been playing in the A-League over the last few years, where his performances caught the attention of the reigning ISL champions.
The 31-year-old is poised to add a boost of quality to the East Bengal frontline. He has already played a few matches for East Bengal in the Durand Cup 2026 and ACL Two qualifier, putting in decent performances.
In the coming days, he is expected to become a core part of the East Bengal squad.
- Age: 31
- Country of Birth: Australia
- Position: RW/CAM/LW
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Played for: Lazio, Salernitana, AGF Aarhus, Western Sydney Wanderers, Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory, Macarthur FC
Dani Ramirez
The Spaniard has joined the Red and Gold Brigade ahead of the new season. Ramírez has made eight appearances for East Bengal so far, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
He turned out to be one of the better-performing foreign midfielders in the ISL last season, making a stellar impact for Punjab FC in his first campaign in India.
The Spaniard, who is a graduate of the Real Madrid youth academy and played for Spanish clubs like Valencia B and Getafe B in his career, managed six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in the 2025-26 ISL campaign – including goals against Mohun Bagan and Odisha FC.
Ramirez created 44 chances in the ISL last season and will be under pressure to excel as the replacement of Miguel Figueira in their no.10 role.
Ramirez should be given enough freedom to roam into the danger areas, but he needs to be particularly clinical with his shooting and innovative with his final passes to add excitement to the East Bengal attack and justify his signing for the Torchbearers.
- Age: 34
- Country of Birth: Spain
- Position: CAM/CM/LW
- Preferred Foot: Left
- Played for: Real Madrid C, Valencia B, Getafe B, Internacional Madrid, Stomil Olsztyn, ŁKS Łódź, Lech Poznań, Zulte Waregem, Manisa FK, Punjab FC.
Mohammed Rashid
In the 2025–26 season, Mohammed Rashid was a brilliant addition to the East Bengal team, helping them win the ISL with a series of tough performances.
Throughout his 12 ISL appearances, the Palestinian midfielder showed remarkable consistency. He was accurate in his passing and put in a lot of effort on defence, winning 52 duels and making 56 defensive contributions.
Mohammed Rashid has also made a strong impact for East Bengal at the start of the 2026-27 campaign. The midfielder has scored three goals and provided one assist across the Durand Cup and AFC Champions League Two qualifier so far, including a goal and an assist in the 4-1 victory over Al-Arabi SC.
Rashid should be a vital member of Antonio Habas’ team because of his strong character, diligence, and athletic prowess. The coach should make extensive use of him. To assist East Bengal in taking on their opponents and win midfield fights, Rashid simply needs to keep being a positive bundle of energy in the midfield.
- Age: 31
- Country of Birth: Palestine
- Position: DM/ CM
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Played for: Hilal Al-Quds, Shabab Al-Bireh, Al-Jeel, Persib Bandung, Smouha, Jabal Al-Mukaber, Bali United, Persebaya Surabaya
Nacho Monsalve
The 32-year-old centre-back is actually a product of the Atletico Madrid academy and even played for the LaLiga heavyweights in the 2015-16 season, before playing for other notable clubs like Rayo Vallecano and FC Twente across Europe.
Monsalve made 22 appearances in LaLiga 2 for Hercules last season, making 85 defensive contributions and being a hard-working defender.
With East Bengal parting ways with Kevin Sibille after the end of the 2025-26 season, they’ve used the Antonio Habas connection to rope in a talented Spanish defender, Nacho Monsalve.
In order to keep East Bengal’s obstinate defensive line together and frustrate opposing forwards, Monsalve will strive to develop a strong defensive alliance with Anwar Ali.
However, he is currently injured and undergoing rehabilitation in Spain. He has played only one match for the Torchbearers in the Durand Cup 2026 so far.
- Age: 32
- Country of Birth: Spain
- Position: CB
- Preferred Foot: Left/Right
- Played for: Atlético Madrid C, Deportivo Fabril, Rayo Vallecano, Recreativo Huelva, FC Twente, NAC Breda, Levski Sofia, ŁKS Łódź, CD Eldense, Hércules CF
Diego Živulić
East Bengal have strengthened their squad with the signing of Croatian defender Diego Živulić ahead of the 2026-27 season, after clinching the ISL title in 2025-26 and securing their 17th Durand Cup title by beating Mohun Bagan SG.
Given the length of the Torchbearers’ season, Diego’s ability to cover both centre back and defensive midfield at the same time may improve team dynamics.
Diego is physically very strong, with a height of around 6’2″, which can be a great asset for defensive stability alongside Anwar Ali. He also has a wealth of experience, suggesting that he could be a crucial member of the East Bengal FC team as they prepare to compete in the ACL Two Group Stage and the ISL.
- Age: 34
- Country of Birth: Croatia
- Position: CB / DM
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Played for: Rijeka, Orijent, Pomorac, Zlín, Viktoria Plzeň, Pafos, Śląsk Wrocław, Diósgyőr, Bregalnica Štip, Tabor Sežana, Oțelul Galați.
Note: This article will be updated once East Bengal FC announce their complete roster for 2026-27 season or if any changes take place….!
How many foreign players have East Bengal signed for the 2026-27 season so far?
East Bengal FC have signed eight foreign players ahead of the 2026-27 ISL season so far.
Who is the head coach of East Bengal?
Antonio Lopez Habas is the head coach of East Bengal.
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