How Mohun Bagan can potentially line up with new signings in 2026-27 season
Mohun Bagan SG eye ISL title under Pangiotis Dimperis
Mohun Bagan have made a real statement of intent in the 2026 summer transfer window with a plethora of eye-catching signings before the beginning of the 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL). The Mariners were clearly stung by seeing East Bengal pip them to the ISL title last season and end their dominant spell of winning the top Indian championship, forcing the management to fix issues within the squad.
The Kolkata giants have made a significant overhaul in their foreigner contingency, with only Jamie Maclaren and Alberto Rodriguez surviving from last season’s squad. The Mariners have made a new of notable new signing in foreigners, which includes the winner of the 2025-26 ISL Golden Ball in Miguel Figueira – who helped East Bengal win the championship as well.
Not only that, but Mohun Bagan have also signed a number of notable Indian players who will bring a boost of experience and quality to the squad. With new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis poised to take over what is a well-stacked squad in the 2026-27 campaign, we look at how the Kolkata heavyweights can possibly line up with their new signings in the season ahead.
Goalkeeper: Vishal Kaith
Vishal Kaith remains the reliable no.1 for the Kolkata giants, having been a key part of their title winning squads over the last few years. The Indian goalkeeper was able to keep five clean sheets from 13 matches in the 2025-26 ISL, only conceding nine goals in that period as well!
He remains a commendable shot-stopper who is able to make huge reflex saves to help his side keep out the threat, while Kaith probably needs to work on his passing skills a bit to become even bigger of an influence for Mohun Bagan.
Right-Back: Rahul Bheke
Rahul Bheke’s signing for Mohun Bagan definitely caught many fans off-guard, as not many could’ve predicted the ex-Bengaluru FC (and former East Bengal) man to join the Kolkata giants. Bheke will definitely bring a lot of experience to the Mariners backline and the good thing about him is his versatility.
Bheke can operate as a right-back too, having the defensive skills and pace to deal with tricky defenders and win key duels. He can be an asset with his long-throw qualities and crosses, making him a unique option to play for the right-back position at Mohun Bagan.
Centre-Back: Alex Saji
With Mohun Bagan looking for a trustworthy Indian centre-back for their team, they decided to make a move to sign Alex Saji from Punjab FC. The 26-year-old defender was one of the brighter Indian centre-backs in the 2025-26 ISL, impressing in his seven appearances for the Shers.
In those games, he won 24 duels, 13 aerial duels and made 55 defensive contributions – being a real livewire when it comes to thwarting the opponents’ attacking threat and neutralising their chances in key areas. Saji is mobile and hard-working, which should make him a solid fit for their backline and a reliable partner for Rodriguez.
Centre-Back: Alberto Rodriguez
Alberto Rodriguez is likely to be given the keys to take up a commanding role in the Mohun Bagan backline under Dilmperis, knowing the kind of effective defender that he really is. The Spaniard featured in 10 matches for the Green & Maroon last season, winning 66.7% of his duels and making 46 defensive contributions as well.
Rodriguez remains reliable with his passing qualities and tendency to win key duels, which he’ll need to use smartly to help Mohun Bagan keep more clean sheets and frustrate opponents in the 2026-27 season.
Left-Back: Subhasish Bose
Subhasish Bose remains the undisputed captain of the Mohun Bagan squad and someone who will remain in the thick of things under Panagiotis Dilmperis as well. The 30-year-old left-back has that spot locked in for himself, having maintained admirable consistency with his performances over the last few campaigns. Bose provided three assists in 12 appearances for Mohun Bagan last season, and also showcased his qualities by making 66 defensive contributions, which included 31 tackles as well!
Bose remains a proactive full-back who can help neutralise the threat of lively wingers relatively well, and he probably needs to add a bit more consistency with his attacking skills to help the Mariners thrive going forward.
Centre-Midfield: Samir Zeljkovic
Samir Zeljkovic has been signed to add some more steel and efficiency to the Mohun Bagan midfield and he should quite regularly feature in that position going forward as well. The 28-year-old had a pretty good debut campaign in the ISL last season for Punjab FC, providing five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) in 13 appearances.
Samir showed how good he was with the ball with a 75.7% passing accuracy and 52.5% long-balls accuracy, as well as being sturdy with 50 defensive contributions and 50 possession recoveries in the same period as well. Zeljkovic will aim to help the Mariners control matches better as well as bringing more incisiveness with his forward passes, something they lacked last season.
Centre-Midfield: Lalengmawia Ralte
Lalengmawia Ralte was not able to play as much as he’d probably like to in the 2025-26 ISL, featuring in nine matches for Mohun Bagan – but he remains a reliable and well-rounded centre-midfielder for the Mariners. Apuia maintained a 90.3% passing accuracy last season, as well as making 33 defensive contributions in that period, too.
The great thing about the midfielder is his adaptability to different situations, which should help him blend into Dilmperis’ system with ease and be a lively figure in their midfield. He’ll probably look to influence more goal-scoring chances, but Apuia needs to maintain his cool in the midfield to help his side dominate games efficiently.
Right-Wing: Lallianzuala Chhangte
Mohun Bagan have definitely made a statement of intent with the blockbuster signing of Lallianzuala Chhangte, adding a championship-winner in their ranks. The 28-year-old winger is one of the best attacking players in India, having won the ISL title with Mumbai City and also having six goals for India as well.
He managed four goals in the 2025-26 ISL campaign for the Mariners and remains in really sharp form in front of goal as well. Chhangte will add more unpredictability to their attack with his clever movement, and he’ll look to be decisive with his final third passes and shooting to be able to score key goals and win matches on his own for the Kolkata heavyweights.
Attacking-Midfield: Miguel Figueira
Miguel Figueira is coming off an amazing 2025-26 ISL campaign in which he was one of the major forces towards helping East Bengal win their first-ever ISL title. The 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder scored two goals and provided five assists in the campaign for the Torchbearers last season, even creating 43 chances and managing 13 shots on target in his 13 appearances.
Figueira will definitely give a major boost in terms of the creative threat for Mohun Bagan and also allow them to be more dangerous on the counterattacks because of his driving ability. The Brazilian midfielder will be under quite some pressure to provide the goods, but he’s proven himself as someone who thrives under pressure and is capable of producing that something special that wins matches for his side.
Left-Wing: Liston Colaco
Liston Colaco didn’t really have the most efficient of campaigns for Mohun Bagan in the 2025-26 ISL, only scoring one goal and providing four assists for the Kolkata side in the campaign. However, the 27-year-old is renowned in the Indian football scene for his unpredictable dribbling skills and ability to provide the goods in key attacking areas from the left-wing role.
Colaco will be aiming to rediscover his best form in the 2026-27 ISL, providing better passes into the final third and combining with Miguel & co to get into more goal-scoring positions and finish chances off effectively to help Mohun Bagan to more dominant wins.
Centre-Forward: Dejan Drazic
While Jamie Maclaren is likely to spearhead Mohun Bagan frontline for the majority of matches, there is a strong chance that Dejan Drazic is also used in that role occasionally. The 30-year-old forward is coming off a pretty good 2025-26 ISL campaign, where he scored six goals and provided three assists for FC Goa in 12 appearances.
Drazic is a really versatile player who can basically play anywhere across the frontline, but he’ll need to be clinical with his work for the Mariners. Whenever operating up-front, Drazic has to be smart with his link-up play and ruthless with his finishing to help them finish off chances and get big wins en route to potentially reclaiming the ISL title.
Who is the head coach of Mohun Bagan SG for the 2026-27 ISL season?
Panagiotis Dilmperis has been appointed as the new head coach of Mohun Bagan SG ahead of the 2026-27 Indian Super League season.
Which new players have Mohun Bagan signed before the 2026-27 season?
Mohun Bagan have signed several new players, including Miguel Figueira, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahul Bheke, Alex Saji, Samir Zeljkovic and Dejan Drazic.
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Uttiyo is a sports journalist who has been covering football since 2016. He is an avid football enthusiast who spends hours either watching the beautiful game or writing about it. He has covered various tournaments for Khel Now, such as the FIFA U17 World Cup, ISL, I-League & AFC Champions League.