The transfers are coming thick and fast in the Indian Super League (ISL). Spaniards, Portuguese, Australians, Englishmen: they are all coming. The Indians are going up for purchase at the ISL draft on Sunday.
As far as the foreigners are concerned, there hasn't been a signing of Diego Forlan's stature yet, but big names have come in the coaching department -- Rene Meulensteen, Steve Coppell and Teddy Sheringham.
The foreigners that have signed on so far have been relatively low-key, and that has given rise to a lingering question: Will big names be ready to play over the new, lengthier season?
To answer that one must understand another part of an ISL transfer: why do foreigners even consider India as an option?
The lure of the dough
For most in their 30s, it's about the money.
Over three seasons, foreigners signed four-month contracts and took home a good paycheck. With most clubs, the pre-season began abroad, and once they were in India, they stayed in five-star hotels for two and a half months. Once the league got over in December, they could go abroad and play in other leagues as the January transfer window opened.
With the league extending at least to March this season, things are a bit different. The negotiations won't be the same. The players have to sign bigger contracts with a paycheck similar to what they used to get.
Would they still be keen on coming?
"The interest is definitely there," British agent Baljit Rihal tells ESPN over the phone from London. Baljit helped negotiate deals with Kerala Blasters for striker Michael Chopra, coach Steve Coppell and goalkeeper Graham Stack. "It (the ISL) may not be glamorous, but this is the transition year. Players ask for 900,000 or a million dollars (Rs. 5-7 Crore approx). There may not be many, but one or two odd clubs would pay that money."
"Players contact me over a transfer and I have to explain to them that they will be contracted and will be paid the same amount for six-seven months (as they were paid for three-four months). They are players looking for the money."
IMG, a global brand that manages athletes like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, probably also helped players choose the ISL, a league that IMG has a joint stake in.
While money is the conclusive factor for any deal, from this season, though, there will be other factors that will play a part in negotiations.
Where you go matters
Rihal says there are some cities that players prefer, and with the longer league, some players will have families, among other things, that will need attention.
"If they have a family, they ask me about International schools," he says. "There are obviously certain cities that they prefer -- Goa and Mumbai. They usually don't know anything about the club. I send them the map of India and they get interested by the coast. They look at friends, five-star hotels and apartments. If they are offered apartments, they think they will have a little more freedom than they would in a hotel."
The big names that have come
In three seasons, the ISL has created a brand for itself. Alessandro del Piero, Marco Materazzi, Robert Pires, Diego Forlan, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Roberto Carlos are not small names. The world has taken notice.
"With a lot of our former players, they have delivered some key introductions," FC Goa's vice president of operations, Rahul Rodrigues says. "Players realise that India may not have the money to compete with China for example, even the MLS (Major League Soccer), but it's still significant money. Even players post-retirement keep India as an option after the emergence of the ISL."
"It [signing a big name] is not difficult, to be honest. If you are prepared to shell out the bucks, I don't think it is all that difficult because there are enough and more big names out there. It is eventually up to our coach to decide whether it is worth to spend."
Each season has furthered the network
Over the years, ISL teams have developed a web of contacts. Finding or contacting players with international mettle has become easier. "The kind of access we have now when compared to season 2 is definitely better," says a source close to an ISL club.
The players' agents now approach the club directly through various sources and see if there is something in it for their clients. There are also middle men who make the deals happen. Rihal is not Michael Chopra's agent; he 'facilitated' his transfer. He has been the middle man to many deals in the Indian Super League. His company also has Iain Hume as their client - ISL's all-time top scorer. "He is our MVP," Rihal says. Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Sukhwinder Singh are some Indian players now with the London-based company who will be available in the ISL draft on Sunday.
Big fish, small pond
Rihal says Hume's reason to come to India is entirely different when compared to some other potential signings. "He is treated in India like a superstar -- whereas in England, people may not know him. He understands that and he wants to be involved in the ISL," he says.
Ravi Puskar, FC Goa's head of communication and public relations, echoes the same sentiment. "There is a worry that they (current signings) are not household [names], but once they come and play they become household names. That is what we have, fans who come and appreciate the players who come and play here. That is something we have been blessed with."
Goa, Kerala and Kolkata provide a more attractive option than other clubs in this regard. "It's about selling ISL as a way of style," says Rodrigues.
Smart economics will win the day
As Rihal observes, this is the transition year in the ISL. The budgets are tight, the league is taking a new direction and hence, all parties that are associated with the league: the sponsors, the teams and broadcasting partners need a new approach until they get to know what works and what doesn't.
Clubs are therefore looking for smart captures. Buying big name players is not important anymore. The ISL brand has been created over three seasons. The league also sets a limit on how much a club can spend. "We look at two things: one is what the coach is looking for, then we measure a player against that," says Puskar. "Second thing is we analyse video, watch them live and we look at how compatible he is to rest of the team. Find players who complement each other. Basically the sum of all parts has to be greater than the individual."
You might not see a Marco Materazzi in the coming season, but you might in the coming years, if the ratings, crowd numbers and the buzz around the league stay positive.
Clubs are also opting for more traditional coaches than managers, according to a source close to an ISL club. "When the games are coming thick and fast, you can't do too much coaching. Getting the best of the players was more important," the source says.
Play the waiting game
The current situation - of buying smart foreigners while investing on better coaches - could actually be good for the league.
For one, coaches with international exposure will only help improve the Indian players. Two, the foreign players, big name or not, will sign lengthier contracts, which will keep them at their club for a full year or even two. Which means it will give the players and their families more stability, while not worrying about getting a club in the winter transfer window.
"Now when you are selling India as a project, you are selling India as a destination to play football, at a serious level," Puskar says. "And when they play seriously, you pride yourselves of the seriousness. In terms of the level of the players, I'm not so sure it will actually come down."
Time will tell, of course, if the current trend of relatively low-key arrivals will come good or not. A few examples from previous seasons are heartening -- Marcelinho took Delhi Dynamos to the semi-finals and Lucian Goian of Mumbai City was by far the best defender in the league. Borja Fernandes, aged 36, was Atletico de Kolkata's best player in both seasons they ended as champions.
Patience is the keyword for the ISL. The real transformation of the MLS only happened 14 years after its inception when David Beckham's transfer paved the way for bigger things. The ISL is just in its sprouting stage, and the tree is far from seeing any fruit, let alone its branches.