The ISL 2024/25 season saw one of the busiest summer windows after the league gave some leverage on transfer spending this season. The salary cap was increased from 16.5 crore to 18 crore with the option for each club to register two players either domestic or international outside the salary cap. Earlier, only a marquee player was allowed to be registered outside of the salary cap. This is the first season where it is no longer mandatory to have an AFC quota of registering at least one player from the confederation. Without these limitations, the ISL teams have spent more freely to strengthen their squad.
The 11th edition of the Indian Super League will be the biggest and highly competitive with 13 clubs participating after the promotion of the third Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting to the top-flight. The two other teams from the city will play continental football and have made star-studded squads. ISL Cup winners Mumbai City has also made eye-catching signings as are other contenders for the trophies this season. This season will be an elongated one with the Super Cup said to be played in an expanded format so clubs have also focused on squad depth in this transfer window.
Here are the transfers completed by ISL teams for the 2024/25 season:
Chennaiyin FC
IN: PC Laldinpuia, Daniel Chima, Elsinho, Kiyan Nassiri, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Lukas Brambilla, Wilmar Gil, Mandar Rao Dessai, Mohammad Nawaz, Jitendra Singh, Gurkirat Singh, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Laldinliana Renthlei
OUT: Bijay Chhetri (on loan), Debjit Majumder, Jordan Murray, Rahim Ali, Cristian Battocchio, Aakash Sangwan, Ninthoi Meetei, Mohammed Rafique, Sweden Fernandes, Devansh Dabas, Rafael Crivellaro, Sachu Siby, Prateek Kumar Singh (on loan), Lazar Cirkovic
Chennaiyin FC started business early in the transfer window to build on their playoff qualification last season in the second stint under Owen Coyle after years of doldrums. The Marina Machans struggled on both sides of the pitch so the positions were strengthened and the required depth was added. The team has favoured ISL-proven stars in the building project with the major players coming from Jamshedpur FC. PC Laldinpuia and Elsinho have arrived to solidify the defence, Jitendra Singh in midfield and star striker Daniel Chima Chukwu joined the ranks. Chennayin FC have also signed Wilmar Jordan Gil, a proven striker in the league, with Mohammad Nawaz, Mandar Rao Dessai, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy and Laldinliana Renthlei adding more options at the back.
The key talent signing has been Gurkirat Singh from Mumbai City while the former Mohun Bagan duo Kiyan Nassiri and Lalrinliana Hnamte are also expected to leave a mark. The only new face in Indian football the team has is foreign signing Lukas Brambilla. The team has also gone for a mass exodus this summer with reliable left-back Aakash Sangwan, veteran Mohammed Rafique, club hero Rafael Crivellaro and Ninthoi Meetei switching to pastures new or have become free agents for now. Staying five seasons with the club, Rahim Ali has decided to take new challenges and has left for Odisha FC. Goalkeeper Debjit Majumder has rejoined East Bengal and striker Jordan Murray has moved back to Jamshedpur FC. However, the exciting story has been of youngster Bijay Chhetri’s loan move to Uruguay Segunda División club Colón making him one the latest Indian players to try their luck abroad.
NorthEast United
IN: Mayakannan, Alaeddin Ajarie, Guillermo Hiero, Robin Yadav, Ankith P, Alfred Lalruotsang
OUT: Romain Philippoteaux, Roccharzela, Gaurav Bora
History was made as NorthEast United became the first club from their region to win the Durand Cup beating the holders Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In his second season in charge, Juan Pedro Benali has transformed the club’s faith which won its first silverware in history and a prestigious one. The Highlanders now turn their heads to ISL having narrowly missed out on playoffs last time. The team has kept the squad's core unchanged with additions only made to increase the level of the side. Dominant midfielder Mayakannan Muthu was swept in from I-League side Sreenidi Deccan to partner the lynchpin Mohammed Ali Bemammer. However, exciting additions have been Alaeddin Ajarie and Guillermo Hiero who helped the club win the Durand Cup with stunning clinching goals. There have been limited outgoings for NorthEast United with Romain Philippoteaux hanging up his boots after two seasons with the club. Roccharzela and Gaurav Bora have decided to join the I-league winners Mohammedan SC who will play their maiden ISL season.
East Bengal
IN: Madih Talal, Debjit Majumder, Mark Zothanpuia, David Lalhlansanga, Provat Lakra, Héctor Yuste, Jeakson Singh, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Nishu Kumar, Mark Zothanpuia
OUT: Mandar Rao Dessai, Mobashir Rahman, Javi Siverio, Borja Herrera, Felicio Brown, Víctor Vázquez, José Antonio Pardo, Aleksandar Pantic, Kamaljit Singh, Sarthak Golui, Athul Unnikrishnan
Among the busiest clubs has been East Bengal, the Super Cup winners, who are building a star-studded squad for the new season to finally break their hoodoo of not moving into ISL playoffs. The Red and Gold are also competing at the continental level and are eager to defend their Super Cup title to mark a return to their glory days. The significant move made by the club has been acquiring last season’s top assist-maker Madih Talal from Punjab FC. The French playmaker was instrumental in the Shers finishing eighth on the table and contributed to 16 goals in 21 ISL matches including his best performance of the season with a goal and two assists in the final league game against East Bengal themselves. Goalkeeper Debjit Majumder has also returned to the club he left to join Chennaiyin FC in 2021. The Red and Gold have also secured the services of last season’s CFL and Durand Cup Golden Boot winner David Lalhlansanga.
Mark Zothanpuia and Provat Lakra have joined the club to strengthen their respective positions. The headlining transfer though is last season’s ISL Golden Boot winner Dimitrios Diamantakos, adding another dimension to the attack containing the inspiring captain Cleiton Silva. His Kerala Blasters teammate Jeakson Singh has also switched sides to increase the potential of the midfield carrying Souvick Chakraborty and the maestro Saul Crespo. In defence, Héctor Yuste travelled to the other side of the city after leaving rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant. However, the same move for Anwar Ali has been blocked by the Player Status Committee (PSU) after finding a violation in the contract termination resulting in East Bengal's to pay a part of the record 12.5 crore compensation along with Delhi FC, Anwar’s parent club, to the Green and Maroons with a ban on registering players for two transfer windows in a huge blow for the club.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
IN: Alvaro Rodriguez, Apuia, Tom Aldred, Dheeraj Singh, Greg Stewart, Jamie Maclaren, Saurabh Bhanwala, Nuno Reis
OUT: Armando Sadiku, Brendan Hamill, Joni Kauko, Héctor Yuste, Kiyan Nassiri, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Hugo Boumous
Mohun Bagan Super Giant won the long-awaited ISL Shield in a historic season and qualified for the AFC Champions League 2. Aiming to defend the Shield in the new season and performing well against top opponents in the second tier of Asian club competition, the club has left no stone unturned to revamp the squad with a series of superstar signings. One of the most high-profile transfers not only for the club but also for the league has been Jamie Maclaren from Melbourne City on a two-year deal. The 31-year-old is A-League’s record goalscorer having won the Golden Boot five times so it was suitable for him to join a legacy-driven club that loves to win trophies. He joins the attack containing former A-League top-scorer Jason Cummings and talisman Dimitri Petratos to form an Aussie trio. With so many forwards in place, Armando Sadiku was given the green signal to join FC Goa.
The Mariners have also secured the service of Tom Aldred from Brisbane Roar who also joins fellow Scottish Greg Stewart making a return to ISL. Alvaro Rodriguez was selected for the second centre-back after last season’s foreign defence pairings Brendan Hamill and Héctor Yuste were released. A third defender in the form of Nuno Reis was roped in, following Mohammed SC failure to secure his signature, after the transfer window as a free agent signing. Long-term midfielder Hugo Boumous and impactful signing Joni Kauko have also been shown the exit door. The star Indian player signing has been national team midfielder Apuia from Mumbai City in a deal of around ₹1.6 crore. Despite the optimism around the arrivals, Mohun Bagan’s transfer window was indulged in the contract dispute with Anwar Ali which disrupted the plans for the team to secure a top Indian player for replacement. There were talks about bringing former captain Pritam Kotal back from Kerala Blasters but the move did not materialise.
Kerala Blasters
IN: Noah Sadaoui, Jesús Jiménez, Alexandre Coeff, Huidrom Naocha Singh, Lalthanmawia, Nora Fernandes, Likmabam Rakesh, Som Kumar
OUT: Jeakson Singh, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Nishu Kumar, Daisuke Sakai, Nihal Sudeesh (on loan), Fedor Černych, Nishu Kumar, Marko Leskovic, Muhammad Ajsal (on loan), Givson Singh, Karanjit Singh, Thomas Cherian (on loan), Mohd Arbaz (on loan), Aritra Das
Moving away from Ivan Vukomanovic, Kerala Blasters will start the 2024-25 season with a sign of change under Mikael Stahre where the team hopes to remove the ‘trophyless’ tag on them. The Tuskers have made significant moves in this transfer window by adding key players to their attacking lineup. The most eye-catching of them has been the transfer of charismatic forward Noah Sadaoui from FC Goa. The Moroccan forward’s tricks, skills and goals have traumatised ISL defences and he hopes to combine in deadly fashion with captain Adrian Luna up front. Jesús Jiménez is another foreign striker signing Blasters has pulled off and Alexandre Coeff joins to boost the backline with his experience of playing in different tiers of the French league. The goalkeeper's rank has received positive additions with Nora Fernandes joining from I-League outfit Aizawl FC and 19-year-old youth international Som Kumar returning to India after spending quality time in Slovenia.
Punjab FC
IN: Muheet Shabbir, Princeton Rebello, Vinit Rai, Luka Majcen, Pulga Vidal, Ninthoi Meetei, Nihal Sudeesh (on loan from Kerala Blasters), Filip Mrzljak, Mushaga Bakenga, Ivan Novosele, Asmir Suljic
OUT: Madih Talal, Wilmar Gil, Tejas Krishna (on loan), Dimitrios Chatziisaias, Juan Mera, Kiran Chemjong, Shibin Raj Kunniyil, Mohammed Salah, Prasanth K, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Bidyashagar Singh, Krishnananda Singh, Issac Vanmalsawma
After a positive debut season, Punjab FC now wish to go far in the ISL after appointing a new manager and making shrewd signings. The Shers have re-signed Luka Majcen and while he continues to uphold his goal-scoring duties, the new foreigners have also aligned perfectly with Panagiotis Dilmperis’s tactics. The Croatian Filip Mrzljak has proven to be a powerhouse in midfield in the Durand Cup with Pulga Vidal impressing on the flanks as well. Mushaga Bakenga, experienced in playing for various European leagues, has proven to be an asset as well. Ivan Novosele and Asmir Suljic are the rest of the foreign arrivals ready to make their mark. Vinit Rai, Ninthoi Meetei and Princeton Rebello are the prominent Indian stars who will create a difference for the side.
The headlining departure from the club has been Madih Talal who was the main driving force for the side to create and score goals. Another notable exit has been Wilmar Gil, the Colombian who netted eight goals in just 15 appearances. A key contributor to the club’s promotion in the first place, Juan Mera has cut ties to move back to the I-League with Churchill Brothers. Goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong Limbu has also ended his third stint with the club. Punjab FC also announced the departures of Indian performers in a major reshuffle of the squad for their second season in the top flight.
Bengaluru FC
IN: Jorge Diaz, Rahul Bheke, Alberto Noguera, Mohammed Salah, Edgar Méndez, Pedro Capó, Lalthuammawia Ralte
OUT: Jayesh Rane, Amrit Gope, Javi Hernández, Robin Yadav, Ankith P, Lara Sharma, Keziah Veendorp, Oliver Drost, Slavko Damjanovic, Rohit Kumar, Shankar Sampingiraj, Ajay Chhetri, Parag Shrivas
After experiencing their worst ISL season by finishing 10th in the league, Bengaluru FC did not hesitate to make a big transfer move this summer. The Blues have almost built a new squad by showing the exit door to their underperforming players and replacing them with ISL-proven stars. The main names that have exited are Javi Hernández, Rohit Kumar and Slavko Damjanovic. The major incoming player is Jorge Pereyra Diaz from Mumbai City FC, who scored 35 goals in 75 league appearances. Laden with silverware, the Uruguayan has been one of the best strikers in ISL in the past couple of seasons. Alberto Noguera has followed Diaz’s footsteps to join Bengaluru FC, a well-known name in the Indian football circuit since his FC Goa days. His addition strengthens the midfield and brings creativity which was hugely lacking last season. Pedro Capó’s versatility in defence and midfield will be handy while winger Edgar Méndez makes the flank active. The return of Rahul Bheke also brings a lot of optimism.
Jamshedpur FC
IN: Jordan Murray, Ashutosh Mehta, Albino Gomes, Amrit Gope, Stephen Eze, Nishchal Chandan, Shubham Sarangi, Mobashir Rahman, Sourav Das, Javi Hernández, Sreekuttan VS, Aniket Jadhav, Samir Murmu, Javi Siverio
OUT: PC Laldinpuia, Daniel Chima, Elsinho, Jitendra Singh, Alen Stevanovic, TP Rehnesh, Jérémy Manzorro, Komal Thatal, Provat Lakra
Despite a turnaround under Khalid Jamil this year after a poor start to the previous campaign, Jamshedpur FC failed to get into the playoffs. To achieve the feat this time, the Men of Steel have done quite a lot of business in the summer window including recalling striker Jordan Murray from Chennaiyin FC after Daniel Chima headed the other way. Another player rejoining the club will be centre-back Stephen Eze who was part of the squad in the 2020-21 season. TP Rehnesh’s departure to Mumbai City also prompted the club to sign a replacement for the position. Former Kerala Blasters shot-stopper Albino Gomes arrived from Sreenidi Deccan whereas Amrit Gope joined as the back-up keeper.
Midfield star Javi Hernández has joined the ranks with Mobashir Rahman and Sourav Das to solidify the middle of the park. Jamshedpur FC has also stressed young talent signings to bring energy to the squad including the exciting forward Sreekuttan VS from Gokulam Kerala, Aniket Jadhav and Shubham Sarangi from Odisha FC, centre-back Nishchal Chandan from Churchill Brothers and the player of the tournament in the Santosh Trophy, 22-year-old striker Samir Murmu. However, the team will miss two defensive stalwarts in PC Laldinpuia and Elsinho after the pair moved to Chennai following Chima Chukwu.
Mohammedan SC
IN: Joe Zoherliana, Roccharzela, Lalremsanga, Sajad Hussain Parray, França, César Manzoki, Mohammed Kadiri, Lalrinfela, Jeremy Laldinpuia, Amarjit Singh, Robinson Singh, Tangva Ragui, Gaurav Bora, Sajal Bag, Makan Chote, Bhaskar Roy, Fahad Temuri, Nikhil Deka
OUT: Evgeniy Kozlov, Eddie Hernández, Tanmoy Ghosh (on loan), David Lalhlansanga, Karandeep, Tangva Ragui (on loan), James Kithan, Bedashwor Singh, James Singh (on loan), Sajal Bag (on loan), Ashley Koli (on loan)
The new boys, Mohammedan Sporting Club will also cherish the occasion with some new faces added to the team. The Black Panthers are back in the top flight after 2014 and join the other two Kolkata giants in their historical ISL season. The top foreign player has been César Manzoki who represented DR Congo and Central African Republic internationally. These signings join the other foreigners Alexis Gómez, Mirjalol Kasimov and Joseph Adjei, the trio playing a huge role in the fascinating I-League title-winning season. Mohammedan has also shone in their Indian player recruitments with multiple years of ISL experience like Joe Zoherliana, Roccharzela, Makan Chote and Amarjit Singh alongside their youthful signings. However, two prominent strikers for the team David Lalthansanga and Eddie Hernández have headed in different directions.
Hyderabad FC
IN: Arshdeep Singh, Leander D'Cunha, Parag Shrivas, Devendra Murgaonkar
OUT: Makan Chote, Sajad Hussain Parray, Mark Zothanpuia, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Makan Chote, Laxmikant Kattimani, Mohammed Yasir, Jeremy Zohminghlua, Sahil Tavora
Hyderabad FC finalised new investors very late in the transfer window so they failed to retain many of the regular players in the squad. They had to pull out of the Durand Cup. However, the Nizams managed to pull off some deals including the purchase of goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh from FC Goa alongside Leander D'Cunha and Devendra Murgaonkar. Parag Srivas of Bengaluru FC is another great addition but the club could only make domestic signings. There is doubt over the lone foreigner in the squad, captain Joao Victor, whether he would continue for the team in the new season. An all-Indian eleven is expected to be fielded again at least in the first half of the campaign.
Mumbai City FC
IN: Brandon Fernandes, Hitesh Sharma (on loan from Odisha FC), Jayesh Rane, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, TP Rehenesh, Jérémy Manzorro, Jon Toral, Nikolaos Karelis, Noufal P.N, Hardik Bhatt, Sahil Panwar
OUT: Jorge Diaz, Rahul Bheke, Apuia, Vinit Rai, Alberto Noguera, Iker Guarrotxena, Mohammad Nawaz, Gurkirat Singh, Huidrom Naocha Singh, Seilenthang Lotjem (on loan), Bhaskar Roy, Tondomba Singh, Rowllin Borges, Chanso Horam
ISL Cup holders Mumbai City FC have made stunning business this summer window with the intent of maintaining their trophy-winning streak. The team swooped in Brandon Fernandes from FC Goa and free-kick specialist Jeremy Manzorro of Jamshedpur FC in reply to losing Apuia to Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant and the pair Jorge Diaz and Rahul Bheke to Bengaluru FC. TP Rehnesh is an elegant backup to Phurba Lachenpa or can fight as the number one after the latter made some unwanted errors last season. Jon Toral and Nikolaos Karelis are the other foreign additions ready to taste Indian football for the first time.
Odisha FC
IN: Rahim Ali, Hugo Boumous, Givson Singh, Rohit Kumar, Jeremy Zohminghlua, Saviour Gama, Raynier Fernandes (on loan from FC Goa), Kamaljit Singh
OUT: Princeton Rebello, Shubham Sarangi, Aniket Jadhav, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Sahil Panwar, Michael Soosairaj, CY Goddard, Hitesh Sharma (on loan), Pranjal Bhumi, Laldinliana Renthlei
Despite not ending last season with any trophies, Sergio Lobera showed his magic with Odisha FC. The Juggernauts qualified for the AFC Cup knockout stage in their debut campaign, entered back-to-back Super Cup finals and reached the semifinals of the playoffs in their best ISL season ever. Hence, the team has disrupted the main squad contributing to a memorable season last time. The focus has been on adding depth to the team instead. Rahim Ali and Hugo Boumous add to the already firing frontline of Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna. Rohit Kumar hands another option in the midfield with Raynier Fernandes on loan from FC Goa. Princeton Rebello and Aniket Jadhav have been major departures while Hitesh Sharma makes a loan move to Mumbai City FC.
FC Goa
IN: Iker Guarrotxena, Armando Sadiku, Borja Herrera, Aakash Sangwan, Lara Sharma, Mohammed Yasir, Dejan Drazic, Rowllin Borges, Muhammad Hammad, Laxmikant Kattimani, Sahil Tavora
OUT: Brandon Fernandes, Noah Sadaoui, Amarjit Singh, Saviour Gama, Raynier Fernandes (on loan), Arshdeep Singh, Leander D'Cunha, Devendra Murgaonkar, Narayan Das, Laltlanzova (on loan)
Going close to winning the ISL Shield last time, FC Goa wants to shine again in the second season under Manolo Marquez who will share the job with the Indian Men’s national team managerial role. The Gaurs lost two influential players in the summer window in the form of Brandon Fernandes and Noah Sadaoui but winning the Bandodkar Trophy in the pre-season ahead of some top sides like Brisbane Roar shows those transfers have not hit the side. The out-of-favour Mohun Bagan striker Armando Sadiku starred in the tournament win with other foreigners in the form of Iker Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera, signing permanently from East Bengal, will also like to rise on the occasion. Aakash Sangwan, Laxmikant Kattimani and Sahil Tavora will make the Indian contingent stronger after Mohammed Yasir and Rowllin Borges make their loan move permanent.
