East Bengal reveal eight foreign signings ahead of ISL 2026-27 preparations
East Bengal FC have rebuilt their foreign contingent ahead of the Indian Super League 2026-27 season, which is scheduled to start on October 10, 2026, as the club prepares to defend its title.
The 2026-27 ISL will feature 13 teams and return to a full home-and-away format. East Bengal have replaced several overseas players from last season — Kevin Sibille, Miguel Figueira and Youssef Ezzejjari have departed — leaving Mohammed Rashid as the only foreigner retained from the title-winning squad; the club has added seven new foreign signings, taking the total number of foreigners to eight. Spanish defender Nacho Monsalve suffered an injury during the Durand Cup 2026 and former Punjab FC forward Nsungusi Effiong’s participation is described as uncertain, but Khel Now confirmed with an East Bengal official that no foreign players have been deregistered and all eight remain part of the squad while the club decides which six will be registered for ISL 2026-27.
East Bengal signed Polish forward Łukasz Zwoliński as a centre-forward recruit; the 33-year-old is a former Poland U-20 international who has played over 200 games in the Ekstraklasa. Zwoliński spent his youth and a significant portion of his career at Pogoń Szczecin, making 120 appearances with 25 goals and nine assists, and enjoyed a notable spell at Lechia Gdańsk with 44 goals and more than 100 appearances. He joined East Bengal as a free agent after a one-year stint at Sakaryaspor, where he made 24 league appearances and scored four goals in the 2025-26 Turkish 1. Lig.
The club added Ivorian forward Ake Arnaud Loba, a 28-year-old who has played in MLS and Liga MX and represented Côte d'Ivoire at U-20 level; he also won the CONCACAF Champions League with Monterrey in 2021. The article notes East Bengal coach Antonio Lopez Habas’ preference for mobile attackers during the Durand Cup 2026 and describes Loba as a player whose pace, finishing instincts and link-up play could provide an attacking option in both domestic and continental competitions.
Nigerian striker Nsungusi Effiong has arrived from Punjab FC; the 26-year-old centre-forward made 12 ISL appearances for Punjab FC in 2025-26, logging 1,018 minutes and contributing nine goals and two assists in those games. Effiong’s past club history cited in the piece includes spells in Romania, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Denmark and Uzbekistan, and the report notes his previous playing time at HB Køge in Denmark’s second tier.
Australian attacker Chris Ikonomidis, 31, has joined East Bengal as a versatile forward able to play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing; the article states he has featured in the A-League in recent years. Ikonomidis has already appeared in the Durand Cup 2026 and the AFC Champions League Two qualifier for East Bengal and the piece says he put in “decent performances” in those matches. Spaniard Ramírez is also part of the foreign group: the report records he made eight appearances for East Bengal so far, scoring two goals and providing three assists, and that in the 2025-26 ISL season he produced six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) and created 44 chances while playing for Punjab FC.
Midfield and defensive reinforcement includes captain Mohammed Rashid, who remained with East Bengal after the title-winning campaign; the Palestinian midfielder made 12 ISL appearances in 2025-26, winning 52 duels and making 56 defensive contributions. Rashid has scored three goals and provided one assist across the Durand Cup and AFC Champions League Two qualifier to date, including a goal and an assist in East Bengal’s 4-1 win over Al-Arabi SC. The defensive unit has been bolstered by Croatian Diego Živulić, signed ahead of 2026-27 and described as capable of covering both centre back and defensive midfield, with a listed height of around 6'2". Spanish centre-back Nacho Monsalve — a product of the Atlético Madrid academy who played in LaLiga in 2015-16 — made 22 appearances in LaLiga 2 for Hércules last season with 85 defensive contributions, has played once for East Bengal in the Durand Cup 2026 so far and is currently injured and undergoing rehabilitation in Spain.
East Bengal have registered eight foreign players so far as they prepare for the ISL 2026-27 campaign under head coach Antonio Lopez Habas; the club has not deregistered any overseas players and will decide which six to register for the league. This article will be updated once East Bengal announce their complete roster for the 2026-27 season or if any changes occur.