Football News: Will ATK Mohun Bagan start ISL with an Indian leading the attack?

After David Williams and Roy Krishna exited, the ISL side was left without a foreign striker who could take charge. Despite Ashique Kuruniyan and Dimitri Petratos' entry into the attacking lineup, they are not center-forwards. 

Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh have functioned as strikers under the national team's guidance under Igor Stimac's guidance. They have grown as players due to adopting a direct style of play and inclination to shoot. 

Unfortunately, it has buried their creative side, and now, Singh cannot employ his signature knock-on sprints, and Colaco has abandoned his trademark ankle-breaking runs. 

Here is an update on the current situation and ATK Mohun Bagan's potential with an Indian striker upfront in the upcoming season.

Kiyan Nassiri is the only natural striker

As of now, the only natural striker for the club is youngster Kiyan Nassiri. Nassiri, who turned heads with his debut hat-trick against East Bengal in the edition, can fulfill Juan Ferrando's needs.

However, the presence of experienced foreign center-backs on other teams will be a significant obstacle for a center-forward. So he will face players like Marko Leskovic, Alan Costa and Peter Hartley, which would inevitably put pressure on him.

Transfer policy's focus and requirements

Juan Ferrando is known for his defensive abilities and a creative edge that has helped him land big names. Florentin Pogba and Brendan Hamill are two names to look out for. 

However, he has experimented with the kind of players he is recruiting for the upcoming season. It is speculated that the Spaniard has not landed a striker who can take the deep number nine role. 

David Williams was deployed in that position and received the freedom to make his decisions. Consequently, he was allowed to take shots from outside the box beside his robust finishing methods. 

Now that they have limited options without a proper striker-based system executing an experimental setup in the pre-season is advisable. With players like Hugo Boumous and Liston Colaco, ATKMB might be able to generate more chances.

Boumous finished 29 dribbles last season, emerging as the Indian with the highest successful dribbles per 90 with 32. The French-Moroccan international curated 38 chances in contrast to Colaco's 24 opportunities. 

Likewise, Mumbai City's struggle with their attacking lineup highlights why ATK Mohun Bagan should invest in their lookout for a center-forward. 

The Mariners are targetting Jamshedpur FC young star Ishan Pandita and Real Oviedo's Borja Baston. While Pandita might be a promising addition, Baston will act as a reliable replacement and starting option. 

Juan Ferrando now has two months to make his final choice, but ATK Mohun Bagan will likely start the ISL without a foreign striker.