Top five signings of Super League Kerala 2025

Calicut FC are the defending champions of the Super League Kerala

The quality of Kerala’s football landscape has been transforming day by day since the launch of the Super League Kerala (SLK). Supported by substantial investment in both infrastructure and world-class players, the league is rapidly raising the bar for players and elevating the state’s football scene.

The strategic signings of quality foreigners and experienced Indian players have been crucial in injecting competition into the league.

The surge in investment for players has transformed SLK into a talent hotbed, where international and domestic players have come to showcase their pedigree and mentor the young players in the league.

Here, we look at the top five such signings made by the Super League Kerala teams ahead of the 2025 season.

Lenny Rodrigues – Thrissur Magic FC

The 38-year-old Indian midfielder comes to the SLK with vast experience of playing in multiple I-League and ISL Clubs, including Churchill Brothers, Dempo SC, Bengaluru FC, Pune City, FC Goa, ATK Mohun Bagan, Odisha FC, and, most recently, featuring for Hyderabad FC.

Lenny has also had a glittery career, bagging the I-League Trophy in 2013, Federation Cup in 2016 and 2017, Super Cup in 17/18 and 18/19 seasons, ISL Shield in 2020, and the ISL Cup in 2023 for ATK Mohun Bagan. After playing professional football for different badges for almost seventeen years, the former Indian International defensive midfielder has now signed for Thrissur Magic FC.

Lenny will be playing a central role in the midfield under head coach Andrey Chernyshov, playing a crucial role in leading Thrissur to their first-ever trophy after a disappointing inaugural season.

Adrian Sardinero – Kannur Warriors FC

The Spanish winger Adrian Sardinero is arguably one of the top international signings that the league has seen. Even though silverware has remained far from his reach for a majority of his career, the winger brings in tons of experience playing for some notable teams across Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Australia, like Getafe, Hercules CF, Apollon Limassol, OFI Crete, and Perth Glory.

Sardinero initially signed for Kannur Warriors in 2024, where he managed to create an instant impact, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists across 9 appearances and making a significant contribution towards the club’s third-place finish in the group stage.

However, after the season, the player moved back to Spain for a brief stint at CD Illescas. Ahead of the 2025 season, he has rejoined Kannur Warriors under the head coach Manolo Sanchez to reignite the championship dreams.

Also Read: Super League Kerala 2025: Full fixtures, teams, venues & where to watch

Sumit Rathi – Thrissur Magic FC

The 24-year-old centre back, Sumit Rathi, has joined Thrissur Magic FC for the 2025 season. Though just in his mid-20s, the defender has gained exposure playing for clubs like Indian Arrows and Mohun Bagan Super Giants, and even having a noteworthy involvement in winning the ISL Trophy in 2020 and 2023, the Durand Cup in the 23/24 season, and most recently the ISL Shield-winning campaign for the Mariners in 2024.

The defender left Mohun Bagan in February earlier this year and joined NorthEast United FC. However, he was unable to make a mark as a Highlander and had to mutually part ways with the ISL side. The former India U-23 now joins the Thrissur Magic FC, where his objective will be to display a commendable performance, which will lead the club to glory and potentially help the player to get a worthy call-up from the ISL Clubs.

Marcus Joseph – Thrissur Magic FC

Marcus Joseph is a very familiar name to the football fans of Kerala. The Trinidad and Tobago striker joined the I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC in 2019, during the January transfer window. He has made wonders for the club, even winning the Durand Cup for the side as a captain. Later, the player featured for clubs like Mohammedan SC and Dempo SC, where he made his presence felt.

With a stellar performance in the I-League, scoring 42 goals and assisting 14 times in his 66 appearances, the player has now signed for Thrissur Magic FC to strengthen their offensive initiatives and brush off the goal-scoring agony that the club has been facing since last year.

Joseph’s physical strength, shooting power, and the ability to play as a lone striker make him a potent threat to the opponents under and could potentially be one of the favourites in the Golden Boot race.

Roy Krishna – Malappuram FC

One of the most hyped signings of this season is the arrival of the Fijian international, A-League 2018/19 Golden Boot winner, and the third all-time top goal scorer in ISL history, Roy Krishna. The Fijian is one of the most decorated players in the Super League Kerala 2025.

He has made wonders everywhere he has played, and his significant contributions have helped his team to win multiple silverwares, including the New Zealand Championship six times, New Zealand Premiership five times, New Zealand Super Cup twice, and the ISL Trophy for ATK in 2020.

With 290 goal contributions across 379 appearances, if Roy Krishna manages to perform well, he could arguably become one of the best buys made by Super League Kerala. While coming back to football after a serious knee injury from his stint in Odisha FC, if the 39-year-old could display his old clinical reflexes and unmatched leadership, he could turn out to be a dangerous threat.

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