With the 2016 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) now just two months away, the transfer activity behind the scenes has kicked into overdrive as all eight teams look to assemble a strong group of players who they believe will offer them the best possible chance of laying their hands on the coveted trophy. Continuing its in-depth coverage from the last month, indiansuperleague.com here takes a look at all the signings and re-signings of July.Chennaiyin FCThe reigning champions got their title defence underway by choosing to keep much of the same squad that made them Hero ISL’s new kings last year. Following the confirmation of Marco Materazzi continuing in his role as head coach of the Super Machans for Season 3, they announced a spate of signings and re-signings keeping intact the core group of players who brought them Hero ISL glory. Bernard Mendy, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Thoi Singh, Karanjit Singh, Raphael Augusto, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Dhanpal Ganesh, Pawan Kumar, Eder Monteiro and Manuele Blasi, all re-signed for the southern-outfit. Hans Mulder, who impressed a great deal in his midfield role for Delhi Dynamos FC in the previous two seasons, and Atlético de Kolkata duo from Season 2 Nallappan Mohanraj and Baljit Sahni are the only new players in the Chennaiyin FC fold thus far.Mumbai City FCMumbai City FC were one of the busiest teams in the transfer market last month. After re-signing right-back Ashutosh Mehta and shot-stopper Albino Gomes, they confirmed the signing of Walter Ibanez, Gaston Sangoy, Roberto Volpato Neto, Lucian Goian and Leo Costa. Ibanez will add steel to a Mumbai City FC backline that conceded 26 goals last year, while Sangoy’s ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis makes him a much-welcomed addition to Alexandre Guimaraes’ side. Leo Costa will be another exciting prospect for Mumbai City FC. His versatility in attack and eye for a goal will surely see him play a big role in the upcoming season. Goalkeeper Neto and centre-back Goian will also have a role to play as Guimaraes looks to solidify his defence.FC Pune CityThe Stallions added seven fresh faces to their squad this month. Bruno Arias and Andre Bikey, who both represented NorthEast United FC last season, are set to don the orange and purple stripes of FC Pune City for the upcoming season. The FC Goa duo of Jonatan Lucca and Narayan Das from last year will also join Arias and Bikey amongst the Stallions ranks. Augustine Fernandes will further help solidify the Stallions’ defence after spending Hero ISL 2 with Atlético de Kolkata for whom he also netted once. The acquisition of experienced defender Eduardo Ferreira and young striker Momar Ndoye is also set to boost Antonio Habas’ foreign options.Delhi Dynamos FCEarly July saw the Lions confirm that FIFA World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta will be taking over from Roberto Carlos as their new head coach for Hero ISL Season 3. The Dynamos also re-signed one of their standout performers from last year, Toni Doblas, and followed it up with a number of young signings. The Manipuri duo of Soram Poirei and Milan Singh will both be heading to the capital city as they prepare for their first taste of the Hero ISL. Poirei will add to the Dynamos’ goalkeeping options, while Milan will add dynamism to their midfield. Further additions in highly rated forward Arjun Tudu, midfielder Rupert Nongrum and defender Chinglensana Singh Konsham have bolstered the depth of the Lions squad.FC GoaRunners-up from Season 2, FC Goa kick-started their recruitment in July by signing India international Robin Singh. The 26-year-old striker netted four times for Delhi Dynamos FC last year and looks set to the spearhead the Gaurs attack in the upcoming season. Goa also re-signed playmaker Joffre Mateu and keeper Laxmikanth Kattimani after both players put in a number of impressive performances last season. Local boy Denzil Franco was also roped in by the Gaurs after he spent Season 2 with Atlético de Kolkata.Kerala Blasters FCThe Blasters added two new players in the month of July with Northern Ireland international Aaron Hughes, who most recently represented his nation at Euro 2016, being announced as their marquee player for Season 3. Defender Pratik Chaudhari was the other addition to Steve Coppell’s side as the men in yellow gear up for the start of the season.Atlético de KolkataThe champions of Season 1 continued to be active in the transfer market and roped in Spanish centre-back Pablo Gallardo and veteran keeper Dani Mallo Castro. Gallardo has already had a taste of football in Asia having played in the Hong Kong Premier League, while keeper Castro has extensive experience of playing in multiple leagues across the globe, making them both handy additions for ATK.NorthEast United FCThe Highlanders announced Nelo Vingada as their new head coach for Season 3 after deciding to terminate Sergio Farias’ contract due to a breach. Popularly known as “The Professor”, Vingada has been national team manager of Portugal, Iran, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the past. He also coached the Portugal under-20 team to a third-place finish in the FIFA under-20 World Cup, which goes on to highlight his ability to help youngsters develop in keeping with NorthEast’s philosophy.
