The closure of the summer transfer window in the top five leagues does not mean job opportunities are gone; unemployed players still have chances.

Written by Han Bing On September 1st, the summer transfer window in the five major leagues closed. After the summer market’s excitement subsided, it was noticed that many famous players remain free agents without a club. For big clubs still looking to reinforce their squads, the free agent market can also be a source to discover valuable talent.

This summer, the free agent market features a fair number of notable players. The 33-year-old Danish midfielder Eriksen, who has terminated his contract with Manchester United, is among the most prominent free agents. Last season, he made 35 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists. Despite having a pacemaker for four years, Eriksen still possesses enough quality to compete in Europe’s top leagues.

Moroccan winger Ziyech, who previously played for Ajax and Chelsea, also became a free agent this summer after ending his contract with Qatari club Al-Duhail. Ziyech appeared 107 times for Chelsea, scoring 14 goals and winning three trophies including the Champions League. Eriksen wishes to remain in England, while Ziyech hopes to join a La Liga or return to the Eredivisie, but so far, neither has made progress.

Iranian winger Jahanbakhsh, the former Eredivisie top scorer at 32, and winger Munir, aged 30 and a product of La Masia, are also overlooked on the free agent market. Older forwards like Aboubakar (33), Ben Yedder (35), Diego Costa, Bonaventura (36), and midfielders Payet (38) face even greater challenges in finding new clubs.

There are also many quality defenders available as free agents. Japanese center-back Tomiyasu is currently the highest-valued free agent defender at €18 million, but he is still recovering from injury, making it difficult to find a new club. The 28-year-old Spanish left-back Reguilón and French center-back Zouma are players worth considering for clubs needing defensive reinforcements. Zouma has a wealth of experience with 247 Premier League appearances, having played for Chelsea, Stoke City, Everton, and West Ham. Former French internationals Umtiti (31) and Kurzawa (33) remain without clubs as well.

Additionally, midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain, who played for Arsenal and Liverpool, recently parted ways with Beşiktaş and hopes to return to the Premier League. Former Tottenham attacker Alli was also released by Serie A side Como and now finds himself searching for a new opportunity as a free agent.

In attack, 35-year-old West Ham striker Antonio suffered a serious car accident last December but recovered over the summer and even played for Jamaica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Nigerian striker Iheanacho became a free agent on September 1st after Sevilla released him. He was luckier than most, as he was signed by Celtic just one day later on September 2nd. There, he reunites with former Leicester City teammate Schmeichel and coach Rodgers.

Other notable free agents include 32-year-old former Spanish international winger Paco, Italian winger Insigne, Bosnian midfielder Pjanić who played for Barcelona, Polish defensive midfielder Krychowiak, Spanish midfielder Rafinha, Uzbek midfielder Shukurov, and La Masia graduate winger Deulofeu. Deulofeu, once highly regarded, failed to fulfill his potential after multiple loans from Barcelona and was re-signed in 2017 but never proved himself. He was released by Udinese in January and has been without a club for nearly eight months.

In theory, free agents can sign with any club. However, league regulations differ. For example, the Premier League requires clubs to submit a 25-player squad list by September 13th, meaning free agents must find a club before then to play in the league. La Liga clubs wishing to sign free agents outside the transfer window must comply with salary cap rules set by the professional league. Some leagues still have open windows, including Belgium, Swiss Super League (until September 9), Saudi Pro League (September 11), and Turkish Super Lig (September 12), giving free agents and surplus players from big clubs further chances to find new teams.