Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters FC announced the signing of French defender Alexandre Coeff. The versatile defender, who last played for SM Caen in the French Ligue 2, puts pen to paper on a one-year contract with the Blasters.

Predominantly a centre-back, Coeff has demonstrated impressive versatility throughout his career, slotting in comfortably as a defensive midfielder and right-back on numerous occasions.

Born in France, Coeff has had an impressive footballing journey, showcasing his talents across various leagues and continents. He spent his early days of football in the youth ranks of Plouzane Athletic, Stade Brestois 29, Guilers, and Cavale Blanche Brest, before moving to the infamous RC Lens Academy in 2008. He received his first professional contract from RC Lens at age 16, following impressive performances through the club’s youth ranks. After a successful stint with RC Lens, having made 56 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, Coeff’s professional career took off with a series of significant moves, starting with Italian Serie A club Udinese in 2013, who bought the player on a five-year deal.

Still very young, Coeff was immediately loaned to La Liga club Granada FC in 2014, helping the team finish in a club-high fifth position. The following years saw a series of loan moves to top division teams like RCD Mallorca (Spain), Mouscron (Belgium), Ajaccio (France), and Stade Brestois (France), before moving on a permanent transfer to AE Larisa (Greece) in 2018. Between 2018 and 2023, the 32-year-old had stints with Ajaccio, Auxerre (both in France), and Brescia (Italy).

Coeff’s experience is exemplified by his 320 career appearances across some of the biggest leagues, during which he also has a hand in 25 goal contributions. He has also represented the France national team at all age group levels.

Karolis Skinkys, Sporting Director, said:

“Alexandre (Coeff) will bring us much-needed experience and quality, and he will reinforce different positions in our team. Additionally, we expect leadership qualities from him.”

On signing with the Blasters, Alexandre Coeff said:

“Hello to the entire Yellow Army. Thank you for this warm welcome. I have rarely experienced this in my career. I can’t wait to vibrate with you on the ground. See you soon.”

Coeff becomes the Blasters’ second foreign signing of the summer after Noah Saddaoui.

Mohun Bagan SG re-sign goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh

ISL Shield Winners Mohun Bagan SG have bolstered its goalkeeper unit with the signature of talented custodian Dheeraj Singh, who joined the Mariners on a season-long deal from FC Goa.

Singh, who represented India in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, plied his trade with the Kolkata-based club before joining the Gaurs.

The Manipur-born goalkeeper made his ISL debut with Kerala Blasters FC in the 2018–19 season. In his first ISL season, Singh made 13 appearances, in which he kept four clean sheets.

In the following year, Singh departed from the Blasters to join ATK. The goalkeeper stayed the next season with Mohun Bagan Super Giant before switching to FC Goa in the 2020–21 season and spent three years with the Gaurs. He made 44 ISL appearances for FC Goa, in which he recorded six clean sheets.

Despite Mohun Bagan SG having Vishal Kaith in that position, Singh’s arrival will arguably strengthen the Mariners’ squad depth ahead of the upcoming season.

Armando Sadiku set to play for FC Goa

ISL club FC Goa announced the arrival of Armando Sadiku ahead of the upcoming 2024–25 season. The Albanian forward will wear the No. 9 jersey with the Gaurs.

Having experience playing for several European clubs in his career, Sadiku joined Mohun Bagan SG last year and played a pivotal role in the Mariners’ Durand Cup win and ISL League Shield triumph.

Sadiku made 35 appearances for the Kolkata-based club across all competitions and registered 11 goals to his name.

The 33-year-old forward will now join Iker Guarrotxena and Dejan Drazic in the Gaurs’ forward line under the guidance of Spanish head coach Manolo Marquez.

Young forward Ankith Padmanabhan joins NorthEast United FC

ISL side NorthEast United FC have secured the services of young Indian forward Ankith Padmanabhan from Bengaluru FC reserves for the upcoming 2024–25 season. The 22-year-old striker joins on a one-year deal with an option to extend for two additional years.

Padmanabhan rose to prominence as a key player in Karnataka's victorious Santosh Trophy campaign in 2022–23, scoring crucial goals in the semifinal and against Maharashtra.

On joining the Highlanders, Padmanabhan stated:

"This is the right club for me to develop as a player. I'm confident I can contribute to the club's success. The fans here are incredible, so I cannot wait to see them in the stadium."

The Bengaluru native, son of former India international Padmanabhan, began his career at Ozone FC at age 9. He later impressed in the BDFA Super Division League, scoring six goals in eight games before joining Bengaluru FC in 2022.

During the 2023–24 season, Padmanabhan trained with Bengaluru FC's senior team and played a crucial role in the reserve team's Bengaluru Super Division League title win. He also netted two goals in two appearances in the Reliance Foundation Development League.

NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali expressed enthusiasm about the signing: "Ankith (Padmanabhan) is a young, ambitious player with a lot of potential. He's fast, technically sound, and offers a lot going forward."

CEO Mandar Tamhane added, "At NorthEast United FC, he has the right environment to learn from experienced players and coaches and become a top professional."

Related tags:

Kerala Blasters FCMohun Bagan Super GiantFC GoaNorthEast United FC2023-2024 Armando Durim SadikuDheeraj Singh