Zlatan Ibrahimovic And The Free Agents Clubs Should Be Queuing Up To Sign

Zlatan Ibrahimovic And The Free Agents Clubs Should Be Queuing Up To Sign
15:07, 06 Jul 2017

Although we don’t have football on our TV screens to keep us occupied over the weekend, the transfer window is in full swing. The off-season can be as entertaining as actual matches on occasion, particularly if you get a deadline day like September 1st 2008, when Dimitar Berbatov arrived in Manchester, but nobody knew which club he was about to sign for. Eventually, the Bulgarian chose red, but then, out of nowhere, the blue half of the city then landed Real Madrid star Robinho.

This summer, there have been some huge deals already agreed with colossal amounts of money involved, but sometimes, the best way to get business done is by picking up players who are out of contract and available on a free transfer.

Although the likes of John Terry (Aston Villa) and Pepe (Besiktas) have found new homes after their previous deals had expired, there are still some notable names without deals, so we’ve compiled a list.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Where else to start but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic? The influential Swede signed for Manchester United on a free transfer last summer, and right from the off, it was clear that he was going to be a wonderful piece of business.

He proved age is just a number as he was banging in the goals on a weekly basis despite being 35. That was the case until injury struck, ending his debut season prematurely and his time at Manchester United altogether.

Ibrahimovic is now back on the market and available, although there is probably much more of a risk involved because nobody really knows when he’ll be back playing football again.

Jesus Navas

Jesus Navas joined Manchester City back in 2013, and he came in with so much promise. Having tore up La Liga with Sevilla for a decade, the winger decided to try his hand in the Premier League. After a bright start and a pretty solid first season (six goals, sixteen assists), things went downhill rather rapidly,

Under Pep Guardiola, the Spaniard found himself on the bench probably far more often than he’d have liked, and although there was a new contract on the table for him, he is clearly chasing regular football elsewhere.

A move back to Spain is seemingly the most likely option for the speedster and perhaps his former employers Sevilla will bring him back in. At 31, he’s a wise old head now, and I’m sure he’ll find a home sooner or later.

Gael Clichy

Gael Clichy has plied his trade in the Premier League for well over a decade now, with both Arsenal and Manchester City. With three top-flight English titles to his name, it looks as though his time on the British Isles is over.

City let the French veteran go as they look to continue their squad overhaul under new management, and the 31-year-old is yet to find a new home. Right now, Turkey’s Super Lig is the most likely destination – although I’d personally like to see him playing at a higher level.

The left-back was once known for his blistering pace, but as that slowly diminished, he has had to adapt his game quite significantly. Alright, he’s still no slouch but his tactical awareness and positional sense is now much better than it once was.

Dani Alves

Although Dani Alves is still a free agent, that probably will not be the case for much longer as it seems for all the world that he is on the verge of joining Manchester City.

I genuinely don’t think it is a stretch to say that the Brazilian is one of the finest full-backs of his generation, and last season, I cannot name anyone who had a finer 12 months than he did.

At the ripe old age of 34, Alves will be more than capable of doing a job for another season or two yet, and where better for him than working with his old boss, Pep Guardiola. The pair know each other inside-out, and no doubt he’ll slide seamlessly straight into City’s starting line-up.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

At 28, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is comfortably the youngest player on this list, but that doesn’t take away from his talent. The forward has spent the last three seasons with Schalke 04, playing 106 times for the German club.

However, his contract has now ran down and it looks as though he’ll be moving on. Choupo-Moting is quick, direct and excellent on the ball, and I would expect that someone will snap him up before long.

The Premier League big-boys could do a lot worse than the German-born-Cameroonian who could come in and be a useful squad player for the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Although, it looks as though Galatasaray are leading the chase right now.

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