ISL Transfers: Madih Talal joins East Bengal

French playmaker Madih Talal has joined Emami East Bengal FC on a two-year contract that will run until the end of the 2025-26 season, the club announced on Thursday.

Talal, the top assist-provider in the previous Indian Super League season, joins ISL 2023-24 Golden Boot winner Dimitrios Diamantakos, Kalinga Super Cup 2024 top scorer Cleiton Silva and Durand Cup 2023 Golden Boot winner David Lalhlansanga to strengthen East Bengal’s attack.

Welcoming Talal to the Emami East Bengal FC family, Mr Vibhash Vardhan Agarwal of Emami Group said, “Talal was the best playmaker in last season’s ISL and we are delighted to bring him on board. He will join forces with Diamantakos, Cleiton, David, Mahesh, Nandha, Vishnu, Sayan and Aman to bolster our attack. We are glad to have cracked this crucial deal.”

Emami East Bengal FC Head Coach Carles Cuadrat commented, “Talal has been one of the top foreigners to make an impact in their debut ISL season. His talent greatly enhanced his team’s attack, due to which he not only recorded the maximum assists in the league but also scored a good number of goals. After a few conversations, Talal prioritized East Bengal over other ISL clubs, knowing how important he is going to be for our new project.”

Since making his foray into Indian football in August last year, Talal featured in each of Punjab FC’s 22 ISL and 3 Kalinga Super Cup fixtures, accumulating 1,910 minutes of playing time across both competitions. One of the youngest active foreigners in the ISL, the 26-year-old contributed either a goal or an assist in 5 of Punjab’s 6 ISL victories last season.

Besides scoring 6 goals and setting the record for the most assists (10) in ISL 2023-24, Talal logged 2 assists in the Kalinga Super Cup. Displaying his exceptional ball control and agility, the Frenchman also topped the list for the most dribbles completed (42) in ISL 2023-24.

Talal’s creative quality is also indicated by the fact that he created the second-most chances (57) in last season’s ISL.

Before moving to India, Talal represented several clubs across Europe that include France’s Amiens SC, Entente SSG, Red Star FC and US Avranches, Spain’s Las Rozas CF, and Greece’s A.E. Kifisia.

Thrilled to join Emami East Bengal FC, Talal said, “East Bengal’s contribution to Indian football is immense and I am honored to commit my future to this legendary club. I am very excited to meet my new teammates and the incredible fans who make this club special.”

The player registration is subject to completion of regulatory processes.