Market bargains at zero cost

David Luiz, Serge Aurier and Andy Carroll are just some of the famous footballers who can still join the clubs despite the closing of the transfer market on August 31. All of them, and many more, still remain without a team despite the fact that the competition has already started in all the major leagues and their incorporation could be at zero cost. This formula, increasingly widespread in recent years, has allowed modest clubs such as Elche, Rayo or the Italian Salernitana to sign Javier Pastore, Radamel Falcao and Franck Ribéry.

Until just a couple of years ago, David Luiz or Ribéry played in the Champions League at clubs such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea or PSG. That time seems more and more distant than ever. To this day, the former is still waiting to close his signing for a team after ending his contract with Arsenal and not renewing, and the latter has just confirmed his incorporation to the modest Italian Salernitana, which curiously also aims to be the destiny of the Brazilian defender. And is that the market for free agents, who could land on any team at no cost, is a bargain in times of buckling up after the effects of the pandemic.

In the list of players without a team there are many more illustrious. Serge Aurier is the footballer with the highest market value according to the Transfermarkt website. The 28-year-old French side is worth € 20 million after having terminated his contract with Tottenham and could reach any club that comes close to the emoluments of a footballer who has already passed through the ranks of PSG and Spurs.

The free agent list also has glories in their thirties and looking for their last big deal. In addition to David Luiz are Hatem Ben Arfa, who did not catch on at Real Valladolid, Jack Wilshere, Ramires, Sebastián Giovinco, Daniel Sturridge, Andy Carroll, Wilfried Bony, Giovanni dos Santos, Salomon Kalou, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Carlos Tévez, Samir Nasri or Neven Subotic. They have all heard the Champions League anthem and could be a luxurious reinforcement for those clubs looking to shore up their squad at the last minute.

In the free agent pool there are also many players who have an important past in the League and whose adaptation to a club in our football could be even faster. Mateo Musacchio, Sidnei, Mohamed Diamé, Sergi Enrich, Diego Perotti, Jota Peleteiro, Fabián Orellana, Fede Cartabia, Iago Falqué, Ibai Gómez, Sebastián Cristóforo, Adrián López, Burgui, Fernando Llorente, Francis, Emilio Nsue and Miguel Ángel Moyá meet at this moment training waiting for that call that allows them to return to action.

The economic crisis generated by the coronavirus has made football clubs look even more at footballers who are without a team. PSG has been the fastest in this regard, signing cracks like Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum. All four arrived for free and after finishing their respective contracts. Real Madrid and Barcelona have also used this formula with David Alaba, Memphis Depay, Sergio Agüero and Eric García.

Falcao and Pastore, at zero cost

The last to leave the list of players without a team to join the League have been Falcao and Pastore. The ‘Tigre’ terminated his contract with Galatasaray just before closing the transfer market and, now without a team, negotiated his arrival at Rayo Vallecano to be the star footballer of the franjirrojos on his return to the First Division. The Colombian forward returns to the Spanish championship with the aim of increasing the figure of 297 goals in the 516 games he has played at club level. A luxury reinforcement for a recently promoted one who had a handicap in the lack of a goal that could now be resolved if the former Atlético maintains the scoring nose of yesteryear.

In parallel to the signing of Falcao, Elche negotiated the arrival of Javier Pastore last weekend. The ‘Flaco’ was without a team after three discreet seasons in Rome and the people of Elche took the opportunity to take one of the most elegant footballers on the world scene. The Argentine midfielder arrives at Martínez Valero with the goal of resembling as much as possible that player who astonished with his appearance in Huracán, his explosion in Palermo and his first seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.