ISL: 5 Highest valued players at Kerala Blasters currently
Kerala Blasters have been one of the most-followed clubs in the ISL since its inception. However, they haven't been able to get their hands on any silverware as both of their final appearances, in 2014 and 2016, have ended in late heart-breaks.
Despite a relatively ordinary track record across the history of the competition, the club has enjoyed enormous fan support and has been home to several renowned players. David James and Dimitar Berbatov are just a couple of the big names of world football that have spent time at the Blasters.
After two successive dismal terms in the league, the Kochi-based outfit was keen to turn around its fortunes before the onset of the 2019-20 season. Subsequently, the club roped in head coach Eelco Schattorie from NorthEast United and revamped their foreign contingent by signing seven new players, including Bartholomew Ogbeche. However, things failed to transpire as anticipated as they languished in the bottom trenches of the table and ultimately, finished 7th.
Thus, post the culmination of the 2019-20 campaign, we will look at the five highest valued players, who plied their trade at the club during the term.
#5 Gianni Zuiverloon - €300K
Kerala Blasters signed Gianni Zuiverloon from the Delhi Dynamos (now rechristened as Odisha FC), in an attempt to bolster their defence. However, an injury in the third match of the season kept the Dutchman out for the following seven fixtures. He again picked up a knock during his comeback match and was sidelined for three more games.
Consequently, Zuiverloon only played eight games this season, making 13 tackles, 25 clearances and providing two assists. The 33-year-old also took up the role of a midfielder when Schattorie was forced to shuffle his back due to the increasing number of injuries.
Before arriving in India, Zuiverloon had enjoyed a spell with Spanish third-tier club Cultural Leonesa. The centre-back spent the best years of his career with West Bromwich Albion in England and represented them 76 times.
He is known to have one more year left on his contract with Kerala Blasters and will surely be a valuable asset, provided he can remain fit for the entirety of the season.
#4 Vlatko Drobarov - €325K
Vlatko Drobarov arrived at the Kerala Blasters as a replacement for Brazilian defender Jairo Rodrigues. The Macedonian was signed in the third week of November and was slotted into the starting XI in the very next match, in order to address the team's woes at the back.
Drobarov came in when the coach was relying on two Indian defenders - Abdul Hakku and Raju Gaikwad. Thus, it was a mammoth task for the 27-year-old to guard the defence alongside the former Mumbai City FC centre-back. Although the Macedonian made a few errors in the initial phases of his Blasters career, he recovered to put in a decent shift through the course of the season.
Whenever Zuiverloon and Moustapha Gning were called on to partner the Macedonian, he managed to build a good understanding. In 13 games, Drobarov made 28 tackles, 84 clearances and 549 passes at an accuracy of 86%. In the offensive third, he popped up with a goal against Hyderabad FC.
The defender's market value has increased after his stint with the Blasters and it remains to be seen what the upcoming season has in store for the centre-back.
#3 Raphael Messi Bouli - €350K
Raphael Messi Bouli's signing attracted a lot of criticism given his below-par record with previous clubs. He was used as a second-half substitute in the first three matches and got injured on his first start against Odisha FC.
Messi Bouli scored his first goal for the Blasters in his sixth game, against FC Goa and fortunately for the club, he didn't look back post it. He scored in the two fixtures that followed, which included a brace against Jamshedpur FC. The 27-year-old ended the campaign with eight goals and one assist to his name, in addition to a goal conversion rate of 17%.
Schattorie's tweak in plans to deploy two strikers up front opened up an additional opportunity for Messi Bouli. With no other striker available for selection, the onus was on the Cameroonian and Ogbeche to meet the team's goal-scoring needs. The former impressed physically and wasn't afraid to put his body on the line.
The striker's contract with Blasters is set to expire and with no extension drawn up yet, his future seems to be up in the air. Hence, Messi Bouli could be another hot prospect for numerous ISL clubs in the transfer market.
#2 Sergio Cidoncha - €500K
Kerala Blasters roped in Sergio Cidoncha from Jamshedpur FC with high hopes. The Spaniard was expected to play as an attacking midfielder and create goal-scoring chances for the forwards.
However, Schattorie's 4-4-2 formation made Cidoncha a central midfielder with minimal scope to bomb forward. Even when operating in the middle of the park, the 29-year-old put up a decent show, scoring one goal and bagging three assists. He was much better defensively as he finished the season with 37 tackles, 16 interceptions and an average of 44 passes per game.
Cidoncha has reportedly agreed a contract extension with the club and the midfielder seems to have experienced a slight rise in his market value after his first season with the Blasters.
#1 Bartholomew Ogbeche - €575K
With a value of €575,000, Nigerian-born striker Bartholomew Ogbeche is Kerala Blasters' highest-valued player. He made a move to Kerala from NorthEast United before the 2019-20 season, following the footsteps of head coach Schattorie.
Ogbeche's journey with the Blasters began with a brace against ATK and included a hat-trick against Chennaiyin FC. In 16 matches, he scored 15 goals and became the club's all-time leading goal-scorer. Additionally, he also notched up a solitary assist throughout the campaign.
He had a terrific season alongside Messi Bouli in the final third and led the team from the front. The former Paris Saint-Germain forward rarely wasted any chances and was immensely clinical in front of goal goal.
The 35-year-old has been rightly rewarded with a contract extension, along with Cidoncha. However, with age not on his side, Ogbeche's market value endured a slight fall, although it was't steep enough to challenge his position at the top of the list.