The ten best players that could be heading to the Premier League for free.
Every year at the end of the season there is a slew of players who are all left looking for a new club, and this season is no different. Some veterans that still feel they have something to offer, some youngsters who have lost their way, and some middle of the road trudgers all roam the free markets and here are the ten best available for nothing during the upcoming transfer window.
10. John Arne-Riise
The Norwegian international is now a seasoned Premier League veteran and though he may not have displayed his best form for Fulham last season as they slid into the Championship, but his experience and powerful shooting will come as a big asset to any of the newly promoted sides, or team expecting to face a relegation battle.
9. Younes Kaboul
The Frenchman had a difficult start to life in English football during his first spell at White Heart Lane, but he has since matured into a strong and wise centre-back that can also provide a genuine threat going forward from set pieces. He will be looking for a move to a stable club that can help him add to the five international caps he picked up between 2010-2012.
8. Tom Ince
The winger’s acrimonious departure from the Seasiders this summer has alerted a number of Premier League clubs, as well as Italian giants Inter Milan, who were hoping that he would follow in the same footsteps as his father. However since turning the Italians down, he will be staying at home, though where once Arsenal and Liverpool were monitoring his situation he’ll now have to make do with the likes of Crystal Palace and Sunderland.
7. Gareth Barry
There is always something satisfying about a player proving his detractors wrong, and when pundits and fans had written off the former England man by saying that his legs had gone, he made them all eat their words with a fine campaign on loan at Everton. The Toffees want him back, but he’s stalled on committing his future after learning of Arsenal’s interest.
6. Esteban Cambiasso
The Argentine midfielder would add a true touch of class to any of the 20 midfield’s in the Premier League despite his advancing years, though he would still command a hefty pay packet. Tottenham have been keeping a close watch on what he does next, but the lure of a return home may be too much for the former Inter man to resist.
5. Samuel Eto’o
The ‘old man’ will feel that he still has something to prove after a slightly lacklustre season in the Premier League. Furthermore, Cameroon’s failings at the World Cup will mean that he can get a good pre-season under his belt whilst remaining fit for the upcoming campaign. Like Cambiasso, though, he won’t come cheap, and interested parties should beware that his goal tally likely won’t match his wages.
4. Guillermo Ochoa
Many have wondered why the Mexican shot stopper had spent so much time with a lower level Ligue 1 side for so long when he could have quite easily have commanded a move elsewhere. But now that Ajaccio have sunk down to the second tier and he has dissolved his contract he is free to take his pick of suitors. His displays for Mexico at the World Cup will have put him in the shop window, all he needs to do now is wait for the offers to come flooding in.
3. Ashley Cole
The veteran left-back can feel slightly hard done by for not having made it to the World Cup this summer, and won’t want to dwell for too long as a free agent over the next six weeks or so. He apparently already has a plethora of offers on the table from overseas, but a surprise move to Liverpool could be on the cards as Brendan Rodgers has identified him as the ideal man to strengthen his side ahead of a return to the Champions League.
2. Victor Valdes
The Spanish international was cruelly robed of his season by injury, which subsequently ruled him out of Spain’s doomed World Cup campaign. However, at just 31 he’s not even entered his peak as a goalkeeper, and everyone knows how good he can be when fully fit. The only question is would a team take a chance on him before he returns to full fitness.
1. Frank Lampard
Lampard has proven that he can still perform to a high standard in a physically and skilfully demanding league, so much so that he even earned a call up to England’s World Cup squad. He has been tipped to head to the United States for a career swan song, though a Premier League with an ambitious project could still convince him to stay in him homeland.