For a club on a shoestring, the free transfer market can be a valuable resource for bolstering the squad over the summer. A free transfer may be the only option for a club expecting to battle against relegation, but even the big boys have been at it in recent years – last season alone, Michael Owen moved to Manchester United, Sol Campbell joined Arsenal, and Chelsea even managed to plunder the market to sign the mighty Ross Turnbull. Premier League Blog has identified the top ten Premier League players available for free this summer as time runs out on their contracts.
10.
Liam Lawrence (released by Stoke City)
Lawrence: Released by Stoke
Well, what were you expecting, ten Joe Coles? To be fair to Liam Lawrence, on paper he wouldn’t be a bad signing for a club at the bottom end of the table. He’s hardworking, versatile (he can play anywhere across the midfield) and no stranger to finding the net, having scored 21 goals in three seasons for the Potters. Player of the Year in Stoke’s promotion season, he also scored the first Premier League goal at the Britannia in the 3-2 win over Aston Villa in August 2008. A Republic of Ireland international, Lawrence could represent good business for bottom-half side looking for a bit of squad depth.
Who should sign him? Blackpool or Wolverhampton Wanderers.
9.
Mikael Silvestre (released by Arsenal)
Silvestre: Couldn't get into Arsenal's team
Although his time at the Emirates was hardly inspiring, the 32-year-old Silvestre has enough experience at the top level under his belt to appeal to Premier League managers trying to bolster defensive options. There is no shame in failing to oust Thomas Vermaelen or William Gallas from Arsenal’s defence, but the fact that Silvestre was overlooked in favour of 35-year-old Sol Campbell towards the end of the season will be a source of concern to potential suitors. The Frenchman therefore won’t be expecting phone calls from any sides in European contention, but the guarantee of first team football lower down the table may appeal to him.
Who should sign him? Newcastle United or Wigan Athletic.
Harewood has been poor for Villa
8. Marlon Harewood (released by Aston Villa)
Located in the ‘miss’ column in Martin O’Neill’s colourful transfer table, Harewood was a surprise signing when he joined Aston villa for £4m from a West Ham side he was struggling for. His three years at Villa Park have not been happy, yielding two loan spells away from the club and just five goals in the claret & blue. But there’s something there for a team willing to take a gamble – Harewood excelled for some time at West Ham, scoring 47 goals with West Ham, including 14 in the 2005-2006 Premier League season and an FA Cup semi-final winner against Middlesbrough in the same season. Now 30, Harewood is experienced enough and there will be few better strikers available for free this summer.
Who should sign him? West Bromwich Albion or Blackpool.
7.
Paul Scharner (left Wigan Athletic)
Scharner: Goalscoring holding midfielder
The 30-year-old Austrian bade a fond farewell to Wigan Athletic at the end of a four-and-a-half-year spell at the DW Stadium this season. Having been constantly linked with a move away during his time there, it’s reasonable to assume there will be some takers now he is unattached. Neat and tidy if unspectacular, Scharner gets on the scoresheet more often than most defensive midfielders, with 14 in the league since joining Wigan in 2006. Familiar with playing across the back four, that sort of versatility may appeal to a manager looking to bolster options in midfield and defence.
Who should sign him? Fulham or Bolton Wanderers.
Big Sol rolls back the years
6. Sol Campbell (contract expiring at Arsenal)
If this list had been compiled in January, Campbell wouldn’t have been on it. The 35-year-old had suffered the ignominy of failing in League Two, putting in just one shift at Notts County and playing miserably in a 2-0 defeat to Morecambe. The opportunity to train with his old club Arsenal, however, appeared to give him a second wind, and he put in some splendid performances for the Gunners after re-signing for them at the end of January. Now apparently imperilled by Arséne Wenger’s reticence to have over-30s in his squad, as well as the promise that new defenders will arrive this summer, Campbell may be available for free all over again. His experience, attitude and performances this season will make him an appealing prospect for all outside the top seven.
Who should sign him? Sunderland or West Ham United.
5. Wilfred Bouma (released by Aston Villa)
Bouma: 35 Holland caps
The versatile Bouma is revered at Villa Park, but even the love of the fans couldn’t get him back in the team following his return to training from a two-year long injury nightmare. The 31-year-old broke his ankle in July 2008 and has suffered a number of setbacks in his attempts to return to action. When fit, the Dutchman is predominantly a left-back, but can also play in central defence and in midfield, so if a manager is willing to take a gamble on his fitness, he could be getting cover for several positions. And he must be a bit good too – Bouma earned 35 caps for Holland in his time, and will be hoping to find a club who gives him the chance to rekindle his career for the Oranje.
Who should sign him? Newcastle United or West Bromwich Albion.
Petrov: Free
4. Martin Petrov (contract expiring at Manchester City)
Now 31, Petrov was one of City’s few bright lights under Mark Hughes, and although he has been marginalised by new boss Roberto Mancini, the stocky Bulgarian’s directness and quality which has seen him win 78 international caps will make him a bargain for whoever takes the plunge on him this summer. A prolific spell with Wolfsburg in Germany saw Atlético de Madrid spend €10m on him in 2005, and after two seasons in La Liga, Sven-Göran Eriksson was moved to make Petrov one of his first signings at Eastlands. Despite occasionally showing flashes of genuine quality in a Manchester City shirt, he has struggled to compete with some of the more glamorous names in their attacking arsenal, and a change of scene and guaranteed first team football could get the best out of the left-winger.
Who should sign him? Tottenham Hotspur or Aston Villa.
3.
Fábio Aurélio (leaving Liverpool)
Aurelio: Won't cost anything
Given the struggles of the hapless Emiliano Insúa for Liverpool this season, it is mystifying how first-choice left-back Aurélio has been allowed to run down his contract at Anfield. Admittedly never the best defender, the attacking full-back offers experience and a decent delivery into the box, qualities which Insúa may possess one day, but not right now. Aurélio’s impending exit may have something to do with Liverpool only being willing to offer the Brazilian a pay-as-you-play deal which he was unwilling to accept. To be fair to the club, the player has barely been available all season, a thigh injury ending his season prematurely, and an ordinary contract may not have represented good financial sense for the stricken club. For anyone willing to take a gamble, however, Aurélio’s experience and ability could make him a very good signing.
Who should sign him? Birmingham or Sunderland.
Gallas: The defining image
2. William Gallas (contract expiring at Arsenal)
William Gallas, the victim of a wildly optimistic Arséne Wenger gamble. Having missed eight games with a calf problem, Gallas was prematurely rushed back to face FC Barcelona in the Champions League quarter final. He lasted 44 minutes before leaving the pitch despondently, on a stretcher, having suffered a recurrence of the injury. During his last months as an Arsenal player, the sidelined 32-year-old refused to commit his future to the Gunners. The constant rumours that he was headed for AS Roma, who were willing to offer him a 2-year deal rather than Wenger’s specialised over-30s 1-year deal, made it seem likely that Gallas had played his last game for Arsenal. Odd, then, that Sol Campbell may yet be retained until he is 36 while the more mobile Gallas be allowed to leave at 32, but Wenger works in mysterious ways. Gallas’s pace and experience outweigh his injury problems and he is well worth a punt even by the top teams.
Who should sign him? Erm, Arsenal.
1. Joe Cole (contract expiring at Chelsea)
Joe Cole: Someone sign him up
Before his injury-hit season, it would probably have been unthinkable that Joe Cole could be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge for free. Chelsea’s attacking midfielder, capable of playing on either wing, may always have been something of an enigma, but his skill and invention have never been in question. A teenage prodigy, it was José Mourinho who first unlocked the true quality of Cole, who won the Fans’ Player of the Year award for the 2007-2008 season. After suffering a serious knee injury in January 2009, however, Cole’s eight-month lay-off hamstrung his attempts to retain a place in Chelsea’s first eleven. His return in September was welcomed by fans, but new manager Carlo Ancelotti’s diamond system apparently left little room for the lightweight schemer, who couldn’t claim a place on either wing or even behind the strikers, where his natural home seemed to be. If Cole can indeed only truly excel in a 4-3-3 system, the other occupants of the Premier League’s top three last season would be foolish not to take up the option on one of England’s very few players of genuine technical brilliance.
Who should sign him? Arsenal or Manchester United.
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