How Kerala Blasters FC should approach the ISL summer transfer window

Blasters are yet to make any signings for the upcoming season

After two consecutive seasons of disappointment and resentment among fans, Kerala Blasters FC will look to return stronger than ever in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27 season and aim for the club’s maiden silverware.

From making it into the playoffs for three consecutive seasons under Ivan Vukomanovic, for the first time, to then going on to display a completely disastrous performance in the upcoming season, inadequate sporting decisions have been the key driver of this downfall.

Moreover, the team does not have good regard from the fans when it comes to the retention of the key players of the squad. Alvaro Vázquez, Jorge Pereyra Díaz, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Koldo Obieta, and Franchu are a few of the many players whom the club failed to retain after impressive stints in yellow threads.

Last season, the club had to resort to relatively unheard-of foreign players, who haven’t played professional football for a while, to fill their international contingent. This backfired on the Tuskers, as they lost six out of their first seven matches of the league and were on the verge of the relegation trap.

Only after making some late signings was the club able to revive themselves and finish the season on a positive note, winning almost every other game later in the season.

This saw huge backlash from the part of the fans too, as the major fanbases boycotted the majority of the tournament, leading to reduced matchday attendance and even backing out of sponsors. Ahead of the next season, even though no official signing has been made to date, there have been a few departures from the club and more departures are expected soon.

With the Indian Super League 2026-27 approaching, the Blasters management must act now and make the right signings and retentions to avoid yet another season of disappointment.

Here, we look at what Kerala Blasters FC must do in this transfer window.

Mitigate the creativity concern

Last season, initially, one of the biggest problems for the Kerala Blasters was the struggles in the creative aspects of the game. Ever since Adrian Luna was loaned out to Persik, the club has lacked a creative playmaker on the pitch. Marlon Roos, who came in as the replacement for Luna’s struggles to perform, further deepened the concern.

In their first seven games, Kerala Blasters scored just three goals, with none coming from open play, and were lacking consistency in the final third. Victor Bertemou, the leader of the attacking unit, was left lonely in the offensive half as there was no player to help the ball reach to the attacking third.

Later, only when Franchu came in was the team able to perform well in the offence and go on to score goals and win matches. Franchu brought balance and versatility to the Blasters’ attack. However, after Franchu’s move to FC Goa, there are no players with a creative flair in the Blasters’ lineup.

With Luna’s loan stint with Persik ending, the team must retain their best creative player so far at any cost and bring in an experienced player who can combine with Luna and craft their offensive initiatives.

Additionally, a foreign player who has a proven record in a demanding environment and has played a decent amount of competitive minutes is the need of the hour for the Blasters.

Petratos, who parted ways with Mohun Bagan is potentially a good option for the Blasters, as the striker has proven himself in the Indian conditions for the Kolkata giants.

Strengthen the defensive unit

Last season, Blasters conceded a total of 17 goals, most of them arising out of some childish defensive lapses. The Blasters backline, in the initial matches, lacked consistency and proper coordination. After parting ways with Juan Rodriguez, who displayed a relatively solid performance in the Super Cup, Blasters signed Oumar Bah, who failed to impress and parted ways with the club after three games.

Following that, Ndiaye Fallou joined the club as a replacement player. A young player with good experience in European football, primarily in the Finnish second division, Fallou was a real threat to the opponent every time he entered the pitch.

Also Read: How FC Goa should approach the ISL summer transfer window

The Blasters must look for a defender who matches the profile of Fallou. A player who can perform under pressure, beat opponents physically and dominate aerial balls to score goals during set-pieces. Apart from that, the Blasters must invest in quality Indian players who can complement Hormipam and Bikash Yumnam in the defence.

Following the departure of Aiban, the Blasters are left with only Sandeep Singh as the right-back option. The club must bring back Amey Ranawade, who brings in much more experience and composure as a wing-back. Another option whom the Blasters can look for in the right-back position could be Boris Singh.

While the left back position currently has Naocha, the Blasters could also hunt for a young player who could venture deep into the attack and potentially help the strikers in netting a few goals.

Improve the squad depth and bench strength

The Blasters seriously lack depth in the squad and proper bench strength. While the problem of a lack of bench strength has been haunting the Blasters for a couple of years, no major actions were taken till now to resolve the issue.

If the management is planning to continue with the same strategy, the Blasters’ fate will be written even before the season starts.

In the defensive midfield position, players like Ayush Chhetri and Deepak Tangri must be targeted rather than looking for a foreigner, a plan which has not really clicked for the Blasters in their last few seasons. Other options in the midfield include Isak and Nikhil Prabhu. In defence, they can look for options like Lalchungnunga and could even fancy a return of Sandesh Jhingan after over half a decade.

Blasters could also seek the services of Albino Gomes, Hrithik Tiwari or Amrinder Singh, all of whom are free agents at this point. They must also go for a proper forward player, with Rahim Ali, Irfan Yadwad and Udanta Singh emerging as potential options.

The management must set a benchmark for the quality of the players and ensure that any player from the bench has quality on par with the players on the field to prevent the disaster class witnessed in the previous seasons.

With injuries haunting Kerala Blasters almost every year, an adequate bench strength is the only option to ensure there is no further downfall for the club.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.