How Hugo Boumous will take ATK Mohun Bagan to a whole new level

The Mariners paid Mumbai City FC a record 2 crore in transfer fees to prise away the midfielder.

ATK Mohun Bagan completed the biggest signing of the Indian summer by bringing Hugo Boumous from Mumbai City FC. The Mariners are said to have wanted to secure his signing since the end of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season.

By convincing title rivals Mumbai City to sell, ATKMB have pulled off a major coup to secure their long-term future. They’ve made history by signing Boumous on a five-year deal, the longest for a foreigner in Indian football history. The Frenchman will receive huge wages, but has all the traits to solve their problems.

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In his years in the ISL, Hugo Boumous has been one of the most prolific foreign players. He’s now perfectly adapted to the league and knows exactly what it takes to succeed in it. Last season, Boumous played a key role in Mumbai’s title-winning campaign and can do the same for ATKMB in the near future. So, how can he take the Mariners to the next level? Let’s take a look.

Solving creativity issues

A major issue for ATKMB last season was the lack of creativity in big games. Javi Hernandez couldn’t produce the same heroics from his debut season. Edu Garcia was too topsy-turvy with his performances. ATK Mohun Bagan mostly used the flanks to flood the box with crosses and hoped for their strikers to find the net.

However, Antonio Habas’ side can now diversify their attacking patterns from next season. They won’t be as predictable as before. Hugo Boumous, for one, is arguably the most unpredictable midfielder in the league.

Since the start of the 2018/19 season, the Frenchman has provided 22 assists in 50 appearances. He has also created more big chances from open play than any other player. In his entire ISL career, Boumous has 24 assists in 58 appearances – averaging an assist almost every two games!

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The 25-year-old has the knack for creating something out of nothing. With his fancy flicks, unpredictable through balls and tendency to run into open space, Boumous can be a really tormenting player. He is also terrific on set-pieces and dead balls, meaning ATKMB can maintain their strong suit in creating chances from last season as well as use more innovative attacking methods.

Filling the major gap in No. 10 position

Last season, Habas tried a lot of different variations in his ATKMB setup to find the perfect formula. However, he wasn’t able to find the ‘perfect’ side because of the lack of options in certain positions in the squad. More than anything else, it was the absence of a clinical No. 10.

Javi Hernandez couldn’t really showcase enough hunger in that role. Garcia operated more like a withdrawn striker when in that role. As a result, ATKMB’s forwards (Roy Krishna in particular) dropped deep in midfield to get things started.

However, Hugo Boumous' presence fills that gap in their setup. While the Frenchman can also play in a deep midfield role, he excels as an attacking midfielder. He can take up positions in and around the final third, carry the ball forward in attack and help create more genuine chances.

As long as he develops some chemistry with his teammates, Boumous’ excellent link-up play can ensure some really attractive attacking football. He’s the type of midfielder, who demands the ball and feeds his strikers in the box with defence-splitting passes. With a proactive No. 10, ATKMB should create more fast-paced attacks involving fewer touches and resulting in more goals.

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Amplifying counter-attack threat

Last season, Habas had a curious answer to questions about ATKMB being a counter-attacking side. He just brushed them aside as ‘a fantastic lie.’ Well, there are both sides to that answer.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Mariners struggled to score goals from counter-attacks. That wasn’t the case with Habas’ title-winning ATK side – who scored many on transitions. The major reason behind that was the lack of a proper link between Roy Krishna and David Williams in counter-attacking situations.

Nobody could actually carry the ball from defence to attack quick enough or support the attacking stars. However, Boumous can help solve that issue now. The Frenchman probably isn’t the fastest, but has an impressive burst of pace in counter-attacks. He is an excellent ball carrier and can dribble past bodies with ease.

In Mumbai City’s 1-0 win over ATKMB last season, Boumous proved that. He carried the ball forward brilliantly on a counter-attack before laying a great assist for Bartomolew Ogbeche to score. For FC Goa and Mumbai, Bouous led most counter-attacks. As long as his final product is clinical enough, the Frenchman can fire up the Mariners’ fast-breaks and make them a threat to be reckoned with.

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Allowing forwards to flourish

A reason behind ATK Mohun Bagan's struggles in front of goal last season was because their strikers dropped too deep. Whenever Habas opted to go defensive, Krishna and Williams both dropped deep to get things started. To his credit, Krishna did that job really well – providing eight assists (joint-top in the league). However, the clinical finisher in him was affected by that. But, with Hugo Boumous' arrival, the Mariners don’t need their strikers to drop that deep into midfield anymore.

The 25-year-old has enough energy to cover a lot of ground in midfield and move the ball forward. With his impressive link-up play and one-touch style, he’ll be able to dictate play and get the ball to the strikers.

The forwards just need to be more clinical going forward to anticipate Boumous’ passes. The Frenchman will definitely create many big chances in games next season for Habas' men.

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