East Bengal Transfer News: From Attack to Defence, Red and Gold Brigade Signs Two New Stars

East Bengal is seriously beefing up its squad, strengthening both its attack and defence. The Red and Gold brigade wants to bounce back strong under coach Habas, especially after losing the first derby of the season. After last season's ISL win, they are aiming for another top performance.

East Bengal Transfer News: East Bengal is building a powerful squad. They are looking to strengthen every part of the field, from the attack right down to the defence. The Red and Gold brigade is aiming to create a storm on the pitch. Although they lost the first derby of the season, the team is determined to make a comeback under head coach Habas.

After winning the ISL last season, their goal is to perform well again. The team management is not wasting any time and is building a future roadmap around their champion squad. They are retaining some key players from the winning team and bringing in several new faces.

From Attack to Defence! East Bengal Aims to Dominate the Field

One of the biggest new additions is Chris Ikonomidis. East Bengal has already completed the signing of this Australian attacking midfielder, and the club has made an official announcement. He last played for Macarthur FC. The 31-year-old player came up through the youth systems of famous Italian clubs Atalanta and Lazio. Before he moved back to Australia for good, he also played for Salernitana, AGF in Denmark, and Western Sydney Wanderers.

He had his best season with Perth Glory. He was a key player in their 2018-19 A-League Premiership win. In the same year, Ikonomidis also won the A-League Young Footballer of the Year award. Later, he played for Melbourne Victory before joining Macarthur FC in 2024. The midfielder has also represented the Australian national team.

He was part of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad and even scored a goal against Syria in the group stage. In his career so far, Ikonomidis has played a total of 204 matches, scoring 32 goals and providing 19 assists. For the 2025-26 season, he has played 18 matches, scoring 2 goals and making 3 assists. It's clear that East Bengal has strengthened its team by signing a dynamic attacking midfielder.

Have two new stars joined the team?

In another major move, the Red and Gold brigade has also signed Indian defender Narender Gahlot. The club has officially announced this signing as well. He played for Jamshedpur FC in the 2024-25 season and later joined Inter Kashi. East Bengal signed him to make their defence line more solid. This 25-year-old player is versatile and can play in both centre-back and right-back positions.

Narender has also played for the Indian national team and has scored one goal. He was also a member of India's U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams. East Bengal has signed both Chris Ikonomidis and Narender Gahlot on a 2-year contract.