ISL 2017/18: Kerala Blasters sign Icelandic striker Gudjon Baldvinsson
Kerala Blasters have announced the signing of Icelandic forward Gudjon Baldvinsson as a replacement for Dutch striker Mark Sifneos, who was released from the club earlier this week. Sifneos is currently the joint top scorer for the Blasters along with Canadian star Iain Hume, having netted four times so far this season.
However, the Dutchman, who was brought in by compatriot and former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Muelensteen has suffered from injury problems during a significant part of his career at the Blasters and a statement released by the club clearly highlighted that the two parties had decided to mutually part ways.
But not all is gloomy at Kerala Blasters as the replacement for Mark Sifneos promises big things in the form of Icelandic star Gudjon Baldvinsson. Baldvinsson will join the Blasters on loan from his parent club Stjarnan, making him the first Icelandic player in the ISL. He is known to be a natural goalscorer.
For Kerala Blasters, even with the likes of Iain Hume and Dimitar Berbatov, goals seem to be the order of the day as the club looks to push towards the top four places in the Indian Super League.
The ISL season 4 has blown hot and cold as far as Kerala Blasters are concerned, with the team not proving to be consistent enough with their performances. Manager David James has demanded a response from the team following recent defeats and with this latest signing, the team seems to have laid down the gauntlet about it being now or never.
The team which is co-owned by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has been plagued by injuries due to which many star players haven't been able to get their feet off the ground. Dimitar Berbatov and Rino Anto are just two such casualties in a Blasters team looking for some inspiration. Perhaps the inclusion of Baldvinsson will hold the key.