Three East Bengal players who can benefit from Chris Ikonomidis' signing

Chris Ikonomidis could bring the best out of many Red & Gold players

Chris Ikonomidis has been confirmed as the sixth foreigner for East Bengal in the 2026-27 season, with the Torchbearers adding more power to their frontline ahead of the start of what should be a pretty tenacious campaign for the club.

The Kolkata giants will not only be tasked with defending their Indian Super League (ISL) title, but also compete strongly in the AFC competition as well.

It’s also by taking the factor of AFC matches into consideration that the experienced figure like Ikonomidis has been signed by East Bengal, who know they need quality foreigners to be able to hold their own in the continental matches.

In the 31-year-old forward, East Bengal have a player who has played for Lazio in his career – as well as having enough experience in playing in continental competitions like the UEFA Europa League and the AFC Champions League Two.

While Ikonomidis will be tasked to enhance East Bengal’s goal-scoring threat, he will also be urged to get the best out of those players around him at the club. He’ll look to bring an overall improvement to the Torchbearers’ frontline and help them play some lively attacking football.

His style could also have a positive impact on a few individuals in the East Bengal side, as here we look at the three East Bengal players who can benefit from the Australian forward’s arrival.

PV Vishnu

The versatility that Chris Ikonomidis will bring to East Bengal means that he can operate in a variety of different roles for them, including that in the right-wing position as well. He will, although, be more of an inside-forward where the Australian tries his best to move into the central areas to raise the Kolkata side’s goal-scoring prowess.

That is probably why his presence should be a boon for winger PV Vishnu, who is aiming to pick up his goal contributions tally in the 2026-27 campaign for East Bengal. Vishnu managed four goal contributions (one goal, three assists) for his side in the 2025-26 season and also created 15 chances in that period.

Now that he will be working with Antonio Habas to further improve his decisiveness in the final third, Vishnu can thrive with a clinical attacking player like Ikonomidis to link-up with in the frontline.

The Indian winger now knows that his dangerous, inviting crosses into the middle can meet its man more often because of how smart Ikonomidis is in sniffing out chances and getting at the end of crosses inside the box.

Once Vishnu is able to raise his chemistry and create an intuitiveness with the Australian forward, the duo can be a harrowing pair of wingers who can add a lot of positive energy to the East Bengal frontline.

Also Read: Who is Chris Ikonomidis? A closer look at East Bengal’s latest foreign addition

Nsungusi Effiong

Even though he’ll be used extensively for his goal-scoring prowess, Chris Ikonomidis has also been roped in by East Bengal to put his creative brilliance to good use.

The Australian forward can be a threat with his clever crossing ability and tendency to play teammates through on goal, and he’ll look to use that smartly to feed the new East Bengal striker, Nsungusi Effiong.

The Nigerian forward made a significant impact in the ISL in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring seven goals in 12 appearances for Punjab FC – including a prolific period that saw him score in five consecutive matches for the Shers.

East Bengal have brought Effiong on board for his goal-scoring prowess, but the striker will need proper delivery in & around the penalty area to be at his clinical best. Hence, Ikonomidis will also be urged to be on guard in tracking the movement of the Nigerian striker and try to play him into open space as much as possible.

If Ikonomidis can look to fling in inviting crosses for Nsungusi, then East Bengal’s goal-scoring threat will be significantly raised and they can expect many goals from the two foreigners’ combination going forward.

Dani Ramirez

Dani Ramirez is definitely under quite a lot of pressure to perform at East Bengal, who have roped him in as the replacement for the departed Miguel Figueira for the 2026-27 campaign. The Spanish midfielder enjoyed a prolific debut campaign last season.

Now, it’s time for him to embrace the role of the impactful no.10 for the Torchbearers. Ramirez already has a good connection with Nsungusi, with whom he played alongside at Punjab FC, but he can now further benefit from the link-up with Ikonomidis at East Bengal.

Ramirez will probably love the fast-paced style of the Australian forward, whom he’ll be tasked at finding in clever positions in the final third.

Ramirez, who created 44 chances in the 2025-26 ISL, will be tasked at using his creative brilliance to slip in Ikonomidis through on goal into the danger zones and raise his chances of scoring more often.

Knowing the Australian forward’s clinical finishing ability, Ramirez will know that his intelligent passes are far more likely to be converted into goals.

The understanding between the two could prove to be a major asset, adding another layer of creativity and unpredictability to East Bengal’s attacking frontline.

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