Three things Youssef Ezzejjari will bring to improve East Bengal attack

Youssef Ezzejjari is a proven goalscorer.

East Bengal have opted to revitalise their frontline with the signing of Spanish forward Youssef Ezzejjari ahead of the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) season. The 32-year-old forward should join up with the squad before the new ISL campaign kicks off, and he is going to be bringing something new to the team as well.

Oscar Bruzon’s side took some bold decisions after coming up short in the 2025-26 Super Cup final, parting ways with both Hamid Ahadad and Hiroshi Ibusuki. As a result, they’ve been able to bring in a striker like Ezzejjari, a striker who has a decent amount of experience playing Asian football.

Ezzejjari is going to be joining the Red & Gold Brigade after most recently playing for Singapore side Tanjong Pagar United. He has a decent history of being a reliable goalscorer who has scored quite a few crucial goals for his teams in recent years. With East Bengal’s frontline in desperate need of some inspiration, here we look at three things Youssef Ezzejjari’s increase will help to improve their fortunes.

3. High pressing qualities in the opposition half

The good thing about Youssef Ezzejjari is that he’s a highly mobile striker who is determined to cover a lot of ground during matches. That means East Bengal are going to get a highly energised presence in their attacking front, mostly because the 32-year-old loves to put opposition players under pressure.

One thing that the Spaniards seem to excel at is executing a high press on opposition players inside their own half, putting them under intense pressure. This can definitely help bring a sense of renowned urgency in the East Bengal frontline, as Ezzejjari can inspire those around him to execute a dangerous press if he is able to close down opposition defenders quickly to cut down their supply lines.

Ezzejjari’s pressing qualities are a perfect match for Oscar Bruzon’s demands for his players to execute a high press to steal the ball in dangerous areas and then march forward on the transitions. The 32-year-old can bring some fear to the opposition players with his energetic presence and also help kick-start dangerous East Bengal attacks by recovering the ball in key areas.

2. Additional physical prowess

Youssef Ezzejjari has proven himself as a powerful striker over the last few years, and he definitely thrives at the prospect of bullying opposition defenders with his playing style. Not only can he be efficient in putting away chances, but Ezzejjari is especially eye-catching in terms of how he deals with the physical aspect of the game.

The Spanish forward is definitely a really strong forward who loves getting involved in duels with defenders and putting them into tough spots. He thrives at winning duels with his physical prowess, being able to outmuscle defenders and basically muscle his way to getting past them.

Ezzejjari’s physical attributes can definitely be a boon for the East Bengal attackers, who can rely upon him to win the aerial or ground duels and also play them into the danger zones in the final third. Ezzejjari seems to be physically strong enough to hold his own in the ISL, and he will be looking to be a nightmare for the defenders in the competition after arriving in India.

1. Element of surprise in the final third

Youssef Ezzejjari is coming into East Bengal with some impressive form behind him, having scord 12 goals in 13 appearances so far in the 2025-26 season. The 32-year-old scored 28 goals in the Indonesia Super League during his time in the country, while he’s also thrived in other Asian divisions.

A key reason for Ezzejjari thriving in Asian football is because of how unpredictable he can be on the ball. He isn’t the old-school forward who aspires to get the ball inside the box, so that they can just finish off chances from comfortable positions. The Spanish striker loves to get the ball well outside the area and make some dangerous runs to set up chances for himself.

He is impressive with his ball-carrying ability to beat defenders, and the Spanish forward is also an expert at surprising his opponents with ruthless shots from outside the box. The 32-year-old’s ability to convert chances from inside and outside the penalty box can help him thrive at East Bengal and also bring some unpredictability into their playing style.

Because of how difficult Ezzejjari makes it for defenders to guess where he’ll move or from where he intends to take a shot on goal, the Spaniard should be a real problem for defenders and also raise the unpredictability in East Bengal’s attacking moves.

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