Top ten PL players available for free this summer
Which players are likely to be eligible
bachelors this summer, with their contracts at current clubs expiring?
Santi Cazorla would top this list because he is a beautiful little
Spaniard, but it seems that he has extended his Arsenal deal despite it
never being officially announced. Instead, we’re looking at players who
could well leave when their time is up.
Honourable mentions to: Fraizer Campbell, Damien Delaney,
Martin Kelly, Marcin Wasilewski, Alex Manninger, Gael Clichy, Pablo
Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Jesus Navas, Glen Johnson, John O’Shea and
Nathan Dyer. Fun fact: Only three of those players have never won the
Premier League title.
10. Arouna Kone (Everton)
Fredi Bobic. Somen Tchoyi. Aruna Dindane. Leon Best. Whatever
fate has in store for Arouna Kone this summer, his status as one of the
more unheralded goalscorers of a hat-trick in Premier League history is
guaranteed. It was in November 2015 when the Ivorian struck half of his
six league goals for Everton in 90 ridiculous minutes against
Sunderland.
Things have seldom been as successful for the 33-year-old,
who has not scored since in the league and who has found his minutes
restricted due to injuries and a severe case of not being Romelu Lukaku.
Crystal Palace pursued his signature this winter, but could not quite
push the deal over the line. It is understood that Roberto Martinez is
working on a deal to sign him for Belgium.
9. Adrian (West Ham)
In the battle of the 30-something back-up goalkeepers, Julian
Speroni and Gerhard Tremmel take their rightful places on the bench as
Adrian is granted some air time. The Spaniard was imperious last season,
his domestic performances earning a first international call-up, but
his form has dropped like a catch from a looping cross this campaign.
The 30-year-old started the season as West Ham’s No 1, but conceding 20
goals as the club lost six of their first 11 league games saw him lose
his place to Darren Randolph.
Heck, even if you remain unconvinced by his résumé, you
cannot knock his ability to model giant foam hands in the shape of
stadiums.
8. Charlie Adam (Stoke)
Do you remember when Sir Alex Ferguson described Charlie Adam’s
corners as “worth £10m”, as it emerged that the Manchester United
manager was considering the then-Blackpool stalwart as a potential
replacement for Paul Scholes? He has the terrible tackling down to a
tee, to be fair, as well as
the withering punditry.
Adam has enjoyed a career renaissance this season. Having
started the campaign on the periphery of the Stoke squad, he has
sh*thoused his way back into Mark Hughes’ plans and thus closed in on a
one-year extension on his current deal. If he can help deliver that
coveted ninth place, the oldest 31-year-old in history can make any
demand he wants.
7. Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace)
Joe Ledley makes the same number of tackles per game in the
Premier League (1.3) as Adama Diomande. Joe Ledley makes the same number
of interceptions per game in the Premier League (1.6) as an immobile
Michael Dawson. Joe Ledley has scored fewer Premier League goals this
season (1) than Younes Kaboul. Joe Ledley creates as many goalscoring
opportunities per game in the Premier League (0.3) as Marcos Rojo. Joe
Ledley completes as many dribbles per game in the Premier League (0.3)
as Peter Crouch.
Aside from letting his Selhurst Park contract expire at the
end of the season, what does Joe Ledley actually do? No doubt Palace
fans will be along shortly to tell us.
6. Chris Brunt (West Brom)
Tony Pulis likes to live life on the edge. He eats oranges
without removing the pips. He does not keep off the grass. He doesn’t
change his mattress every eight years (because who bloody does?). He
steals pens from Argos. He yearns for his football teams to take a
two-goal lead because he revels in the inherent peril of football’s most
dangerous scoreline. And he allows the contracts of three of his West
Brom lynchpins to run down heading into the summer. Jonas Olsson and
Gareth McAuley, a full 70 years of tall centre-half between them, will
play the situation by ear, but Chris Brunt has surely earned himself a
new deal at The Hawthorns. The 32-year-old has three goals and three
assists in the Premier League this season, has a dynamite left foot, and
he really would not fit anywhere else.
5. Jan Kirchhoff (Sunderland)
“Jan’s experience of that match was massive for him. He
saw, in one fell swoop, what the Premier League was all about and how
difficult it is compared to being in Germany, where he knows the
language and the players and how comfortable it is.”
The above comments came from the gravy-covered mouth of Sam
Allardyce, the future and former England manager discussing one of the
greatest Premier League debuts in history. Jan Kirchhoff was introduced
as a second-half substitute for Sunderland in a game against Tottenham
in January 2016, having signed that same month. He turned his back and
deflected a Christian Eriksen shot past his own keeper with one of his
first touches, before later conceding a penalty. It wasn’t great.
But then Allardyce moved him into central midfield and, from
there, Kirchhoff was a relative success. The German played a huge role
in Sunderland’s survival, and David Moyes must hope he can repeat the
trick if he manages to recover from a second serious injury of the
season. He will be fighting for his future too, with his contract
expiring in the summer.
4. John Terry (Chelsea)
It was this time last year that England’s lion finally jumped
the shark. Not a man to be upstaged or cast as an afterthought, John
Terry thought it necessary to publicly announce after an FA Cup
fourth-round win over MK Dons that he would be leaving Chelsea at the
end of the season. “I was in last week before the Arsenal game and it
[contract] is not going to be extended,” he said, before making it clear
that this was Chelsea’s decision, not his.
The official reply was almost instant, and made Terry look a
spoilt child. “John was advised that while no new deal was currently on
the table, that situation could change in the coming months,” said a
club spokesperson. And so it did; Antonio Conte ensured that the captain
was offered a new one-year contract extension.
Fast-forward 12 months, and there will be no such reprieve
this season for the 36-year-old, who last started a Premier League game
in September. At least it means he can concentrate on
trying to fast-track himself into a coaching job.
3. Lucas Leiva (Liverpool)
Jamie Carragher was at his generous best when he explained how a
defence featuring Lucas Leiva as your third-choice centre-back was
“probably not enough if you want to go and win the title”. The man who
spent all of January flirting with Inter Milan has started four games at
the heart of a troubled defence this season; Liverpool have conceded
seven goals in those fixtures, which came against Leicester, Watford,
Bournemouth and Hull.
There is something quite comforting about Lucas being
Liverpool’s current longest-serving player. He is willing, but not
always able. He is often hilarious to watch. He was better under Rafa.
And he is not quite good enough.
When the 30-year-old does leave – and it will surely be this
summer – that would mean that Jordan Henderson takes his mantle as
Anfield’s most loyal servant; he joined five-and-a-half years ago. Jon
Flanagan would be next, followed by Andre Wisdom. What a world.
2. Michael Carrick (Manchester United)
It’s that time of year again,
when we suggest that Michael Carrick would be an ideal signing for
Newcastle while he is busy being linked with a ridiculous move to
Arsenal. Manchester United have never, ever, ever, ever lost when the
Wallsend boy has been within at least five miles of Old Trafford, but
his long-term future might lie elsewhere.
Jose Mourinho likes him, that much is obvious, but the
35-year-old’s age will count against him. Carrick is arguably already
being phased out; he sits directly below Marouane Fellaini and above
Chris Smalling in terms of Premier League minutes for United this
season. That is quite the stodgy sandwich, one which is just as liable
to elbow through your digestive system as metronomically pass through
it.
1. Yaya Sanogo (Arsenal)
Hey, he’s in Arsenal’s Champions League squad. More than anyone can say for you, pal.
1. Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
What a bloody turnaround. It took Yaya Toure a few months to
tell Dimitri Seluk to just be bloody quiet, but the midfielder’s
performances since his return to Manchester City have been excellent. He
has helped thaw the frosty mood around the Etihad Stadium,
returning from having been frozen out himself.
Of City’s five defeats this season, just two have come with
Toure starting. Only Sergio Aguero (11) and Raheem Sterling (5) have
scored more Premier League goals for Pep Guardiola’s side this campaign
(4). City win 68.75% of their games in all competitions with Toure
starting, compared to 55% without.
All of the above has accomplished two things: It has helped
earn him either a new contract or a lovely move elsewhere, and it has
ensured that I will spend May 13 locked in a dark room with no internet
or other contact with the outside world. Will the internet be able to
cope with the birthday cake-related banter on the Ivorian’s birthday?
Wilfred Ndidi
Dutch
club Volendam were able to strike terms with Arsenal over a loan deal
for the talented winger Aaron Eyoma before the January transfer window
closed for business, writes the English Premier League club on their
official website. 