Which Free Agents Are Still Available Even with the Transfer Window Slammed Shut?

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FT Desk

The transfer window has officially slammed shut, and it did so after a record-breaking amount of money was spent, especially by the Premier League's biggest names.

Clubs from the most competitive league on earth forked out a mighty £3.56bn on new additions throughout the summer, with no fewer than five players swapping teams for transfer fees of over £100m. Enzo Fernandez joined Manchester City from Chelsea for a joint-British record fee of £125m, Bradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain for £125m, Morgan Rogers swapped Villa Park for Stamford Bridge for £117m, Elliot Anderson headed to the Etihad from Nottingham Forest for £116m, and Sandro Tonali left Newcastle for Spurs for £100m.

But despite all that cash swapping hands, it's defending champions Arsenal that remain the team to beat in the English top flight this season. The Gunners claimed a first title in 22 years last season when they pipped Manchester City to the crown, and after a blistering start to their title defense consisting of a perfect four wins from four, online betting sites make them the overwhelming favorites to claim a second straight title come next May. The latest odds from the popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook currently make Mikel Arteta's side an odds-on 4/6 frontrunner to reign supreme once more, with City tailing in their wake at 9/4, despite spending more than double that of the champions.

But while huge sums of money have been forked out this summer, some of the game's biggest names remain free agents as the 2026/27 season begins to gather steam. So, which marquee names are currently still available? And which clubs could they be headed to should an opportunity present itself? Let's take a look.

Jadon Sancho

Has anyone's stock fallen more than Jadon Sancho's in recent years? The former England international was considered one of Europe's finest wingers during his Borussia Dortmund days. A £73m move to Manchester United in the summer of 2021 happened amid much fanfare, but to say the Englishman disappointed at Old Trafford would be an understatement.

Sancho managed just 12 goals and six assists across his first two and a half years with United, but by January 2024, he was back at Dortmund on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season. There, he showed flashes of the player he once was, playing a key role as BVB surprisingly reached the Champions League final, with Sancho starting that 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid at Wembley. But unfortunately for the once-electric winger, that return to form proved to be temporary.

He has spent the last two years away from Old Trafford on loan deals, firstly with Chelsea and then with Aston Villa, with neither yielding much success. He was allowed to leave Manchester United in the summer upon the expiry of his contract, and since leaving the 20-time Premier League champions, very little has arrived in the form of a new home.

Dortmund have been linked with Sancho all summer long, but as of right now, nothing has actually materialized. The likes of Atlético Madrid, Fiorentina, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, and Galatasaray have all been reportedly interested at one point or another throughout his time at Old Trafford, but even still, Sancho remains a free agent at the age of just 26.

Karim Benzema

Even at the age of 38, Karim Benzema remains one of the planet's most recognizable names. He was named the best player on the planet just four years ago after captaining Real Madrid to their 14th Champions League title, netting 15 goals in just 12 games along the way. However, his situation now is far more complicated than that of Sancho.

Benzema swapped the Bernabéu for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023, first joining Al-Ittihad before moving on to Al Hilal back in February. The latter of that duo cancelled the Frenchman's contract in the summer, officially making him a free agent. But the former Lyon youngster remains tied down to a lucrative $23m-a-year 'ambassador' contract which runs until 2030. As such, he is severely limited in terms of the number of clubs that he could currently join.

Any Saudi club could realistically secure his services, as could, strangely, Newcastle United, who are owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the same body that currently has Benzema tied up until past his 42nd birthday. An emotional reunion with Lyon has already fallen apart due to the contract, and it seems that the only way the former Los Blancos captain could sign for someone other than the aforementioned clubs is by walking away from a guaranteed $23m per year.

We're not sure that anyone in their right mind would make the decision to walk away from such money, no matter the circumstances. However, the fact remains that if Benzema wants to finish his career on his terms, he may very well have to.

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FT Desk

FootballTransfers' desk

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