With the curtains being drawn on the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season, it was another exciting season of Indian football, with top talents playing the beautiful game in the country’s first tier of football.
Following are 11 new signings, who made their impact on their respective clubs over the 22 match-season (one player per team).
Jason Cummings (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)
Expectations were high from Jason Cummings, considering the hefty price tag the Australian came with, and he hasn’t disappointed in his first season in Indian football. With 13 goal contributions (11 goals and two assists) in 22 matches, he has played a major role in Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s successful campaign, which saw it win its maiden League Shield.
In the Shield decider against Mumbai City, Cummings scored the second goal for the Mariners, which turned out to be the winning goal in their 2-1 victory.
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Often playing the role of a super-sub, Cummings will be a player to watch out for in the ISL final.
Yoell van Nieff (Mumbai City FC)
Football is not always about goals and assists, and Yoell van Nieff has perfectly shown that in Mumbai city colours this season. Despite having a disciplinary problem, which saw him miss matches early in the season, the Dutchman has been a solid presence for the Islanders in the middle of the park.
Yoell Van Nieff of Mumbai City FC. | Photo Credit: FSDL
Often acting as the bridge between defence and attack, the defensive midfielder has created 33 chances till now. He has made 130 recoveries and won 83 duels for his team, out of which 21 have been aerial ones.
Mumbai will depend on Van Nieff to thwart Mohun Bagan’s buildup play, and he will be an important player for the Islanders in the ISL final.
Odei Onaindia (FC Goa)
FC Goa conceded just 21 goals in the ISL league stage, maintaining the second-best defensive record after Mumbai City. Playing a big part in maintaining such a compact defence was centre-back Odei Onaindia.
Joining from Hyderabad FC ahead of the 2023-24 season, it was a seamless transition for the Spaniard as he became a mainstay in Manolo Marquez’s backline.
Odei Onaindia of FC Goa. | Photo Credit: FSDL
In 24 appearances, he has eight clean sheets, 30 interceptions, won 67 duels, made 16 blocks and registered 128 recoveries - an excellent statistic for a centre-back.
His passing is also an asset for the Gaurs, with Onaindia maintaining an 82 per cent passing accuracy.
Roy Krishna (Odisha FC)
Roy Krishna created shockwaves during his first season (2019-20) in Indian football. Three seasons later, the Fiji international shows no signs of stopping and seems to be getting better with age.
Under the tutelage of Sergio Lobera, the Juggernauts reached the ISL semifinals for the first time in their history, and Krishna has been an important cog in Lobera’s system.
In 25 appearances, Krishna has bagged 13 goals and is joint-top scorer with Kerala Blasters’ Dimitrios Diamantakos. Along with the goals, Krishna has played his part in creating goal-scoring opportunities for the Juggernauts. He has three assists and has created 42 chances for his team. To put into context how much of a threat he is, he has had 99 touches in the opponent’s box this season.
Known for his scoring prowess, he has come clutch for his team numerous times throughout the season.
Milos Drincic (Kerala Blasters)
Kerala Blasters failed to make the semifinals after a defeat against Odisha FC in the playoffs, but had an excellent start to the season and maintained a decent form in the league stages.
Under Ivan Vukomanovic, who has now parted ways with the club, the Blasters were the forerunners to win the Shield, given their excellent start but could not maintain momentum. Nonetheless, some new foreign signings stood out, Milos Drincic being one of them.
Milos Drincic of Kerala Blasters FC. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
Coming from Belarusian club Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Drincic established himself as an important player in the Blasters backline and started 19 out of the 21 matches he played in. As far as numbers are concerned, he managed to keep five clean sheets, won 65 duels, made 71 recoveries and registered 81 clearances.
He also scored two goals, including a winner, when Kerala Blasters won 1-0 against Hyderabad FC.
Jordan Murray (Chennaiyin FC)
Chennaiyin FC finally made the ISL playoffs after four years under Owen Coyle’s guidance after the Scottish took charge of the club ahead of the season.
Despite a slow start, the Marina Machans showed signs of becoming a cohesive unit. Playing a big part in Chennaiyin’s playoffs journey was Jordan Murray who joined from Thai club Nakhon Ratchasima F.C at the start of the season.
Jordan David Murray of Chennaiyin FC. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
It wasn’t the smoothest start, with Murray dealing with injury problems but the Australian managed to finish the season with five goals, which included a 93rd-minute winner against Odisha FC and a 71st-minute equaliser against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where Chennayin came back from a goal down to win 3-2.
Tomi Juric (NorthEast United FC)
NorthEast United narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, finishing seventh, but showed positive signs towards the end of the season after a slow start.
Among some of the best performers for the Highlanders, Tomi Juric’s name shines the brightest, with Nestor Albiach being in close contention.
Tomi Juric of NorthEast United FC. | Photo Credit: FSDL
Joining NorthEast only in January, the Australian managed to bag five goals in six appearances, also managing to create three chances for his team.
While he had little time to impact this season, Juric would surely look to make his mark with the Highlanders in the next season.
Madih Talal (Punjab FC)
One needs to look no further than Madih Talal if the topic of conversation is Punjab FC’s most impactful player this season.
The Frenchman, who arrived at the Shers from Greek club A.E. Kifisia F.C., took his time to settle in the ISL, but once he did, there was no looking back.
In 22 appearances, he has six goals and ten assists (topping the assist chart) and has been a revelation in the Punjab midfield. With his vision and passing range, he has helped his team unlock defences throughout the season.
Apart from his goal contributions, he has created 57 chances for his team and maintained a passing accuracy of 80 per cent, making him one of the best performers in ISL this season.
Hijazi Maher (East Bengal)
East Bengal ended a 12-year trophy drought after winning the Super Cup under the guidance of Carles Cuadrat, but it was another disappointing ISL campaign for the Red and Gold brigade after they finished ninth in the table.
However, Cuadrat can find positives with some of the players who were impressive for East Bengal, and centre-back Hijazi Maher’s name stands right out.
Hijazi Maher of East Bengal FC. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ISL
Despite the unsatisfactory season, East Bengal finished with the fifth-best defensive record and conceded just three more than arch-rival and Shield winner Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Playing an important role in the heart of the Red and Gold defence was Maher, who saw clean sheets in 17 appearances.
In terms of numbers, he won 74 duels, made 22 blocks and registered 88 recoveries. A no-nonsense defender, Maher also made 99 clearances throughout the season.
Ahead of next season, he should be one of the players Cuadrat will hope to retain.
Slavko Damjanovic (Bengaluru FC)
Slavko Damjanovic is not new to Indian football, and this season, he plied his trade for Bengaluru FC.
It was a season to forget for the Blues, with them finishing 10th in the ISL standings. While it is hard to look for positives, Damjanovic’s presence in defence will be a reassuring factor for the Blues as they look to build for next season.
Slavko Damjanovic of Bengaluru FC. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
While the numbers are not impressive for the Montenegrin centre-back, he showed shades of his class and experience over the season. However, with just two clean sheets in 16 appearances, he would be eager to perform better next season.
Rei Tachikawa (Jamshedpur FC)
Khalid Jamil’s experience could not help Jamshedpur FC finish the season in a respectable position, with the Red Miners finishing 11th in the ISL standings.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance, the team was mostly inconsistent throughout the season. Amidst that inconsistency, Japanese professional Rei Tachikawa stood out as a positive for Jamil and his men.
Rei Tachikawa of Jamshedpur FC | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
Arriving from Sirens F.C in the Maltese Premier League, Tachikawa managed to finish the season with five goals in 22 appearances for Jamshedpur. While he could not bag an assist, he did create 25 chances for his team and made the same number of key passes in the final third.
With Jamil eager to rebuild his team for next season’s challenge, it remains to be seen if Tachikawa will feature for the Red Miners in the 2024-25 season.
**Bottom-placed Hyderabad FC finished the season with just one foreigner - Joao Victor, who does not fit the criteria of being a new signing
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