Lingard valued at €6m
Top ten most valuable free agents – Newcastle eye De Gea transfer
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The winter transfer window is rapidly approaching with clubs finalising their strategies to improve their squads, but some deals could be sealed before then. While major permanent transfers aren’t as frequent in January as the summer window, some big players could still switch clubs with the loan market a popular avenue. Chelsea were extremely active last January, spending big money on Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez. Virgil Van Dijk famously swapped Southampton for Liverpool in January 2018 with the Merseyside club recouping €135m for Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona during the same window. But clubs could add new signings before the January window opens with a number of high-profile players still without a club.
Newcastle United interested in former Manchester United goalkeeper De Gea
David de Gea is the most famed unattached player after the Spanish goalkeeper departed Manchester United in the summer after over a decade as the English giants number one. De Gea has been strongly linked with a move to Newcastle United recently, after Nick Pope sustained a serious shoulder injury and is expected to be out for four months. De Gea was valued at €70m during the peak of his powers in 2018 but his market value has dropped significantly to €8m. The free agent market will be attractive to clubs looking to secure a bargain deal while avoiding paying a transfer fee. Players and agents will be looking for significant wages and sign-on fees to counteract the free transfer and we’ve analysed some of the biggest names still without a club.
Top 10 most valuable free agents
David de Gea departed Manchester United last summer despite winning the Golden Glove award for most clean sheets in the English Premier League with 17. The 33-year-old kept 190 clean sheets across 545 games for the English giants after moving from Atletico Madrid in 2011 but he remains without a club. De Gea was amongst Manchester United’s top earners and his wage demands have restricted interest since becoming a free agent. Newcastle have been strongly linked with the Spaniard recently, while a move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia has been rumoured.
Market Value
D. de Gea
Goalkeeper
€5.00m
Jesse Lingard falls behind his former Manchester United teammate De Gea as the second most valuable free agent at €6m. Lingard failed to impress at Nottingham Forest last season and he was released but he’s still not signed with another club. The 30-year-old trained with West Ham over the summer but wasn’t offered a deal despite excelling during a loan spell at the Hammers in the second half of the 2020/21 season. Lingard also spent a month training with Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq but personal terms couldn’t be agreed. The former England international was valued at €40m during his prime at Manchester United and he’s likely to find a new home in the coming weeks.
Market Value
J. Lingard
Attacking Midfield
€4.00m
Xeka signed a two-year deal with Rennes in 2022 but he departed the French club by mutual consent in August. The experienced midfielder underwent surgery on an ankle injury in January but he’s completed his rehabilitation with several clubs monitoring the free agent. Still 29, Xeka is valued at €5m and his experience could be a useful asset for English Premier League clubs with Everton, Newcastle and Sheffield United all linked. The former Portugal cap played a pivotal role as Lille won their fourth French title in 2021 and he was valued at €10m during his time at the club.
Market Value
Xeka
Central Midfield
€2.00m
Anwar El Ghazi’s contract was terminated by Mainz in October following a social media post. El Ghazi had only joined the Bundelsiga outfit in the summer following his departure from PSV but he’s not a free agent. The 28-year-old was sensationally linked with a move to Manchester United following his release but the €3m rated winger remains without a club. El Ghazi has launched legal action against Mainz, claiming ‘unfair dismissal’, but that’s unlikely to deter interest in former Netherlands international.
Market Value
A. El Ghazi
Right Winger
€1.80m
Helder Costa’s career has nosedived across the last few years since joining Leeds United for €17.7m in 2020. Costa originally moved to England with Wolves and he was a key player as they returned to the Premier League with 38 goal contributions in 109 appearances for the Midlands club. Costa’s deal with Leeds was terminated in October after unsuccessful loan spells at Valencia and Al-Ittihad. While the 28-year-old hasn’t featured for a club this season, he has played for Angola and the €2.8m valued star will hope to revive his career in 2024.
Market Value
H. Costa
Right Winger
€900k
Jose Campana has been without a club since departing Levante in the summer. The 30-year-old received his only Spain cap by Luis Enrique in October 202 during his time in La Liga. Campana was valued at €25m when he made his international debut but his career has fallen off since then and the former Seville, Crystal Palace and Porto midfielder is still without a club.
Market Value
J. Campaña
Central Midfield
€1.30m
Nemanja Jovic decided to quit Partizan Belgrade in the summer to pursue opportunities in Europe but he’s yet to find a club. While the majority of the players in this list are reaching the twilight of their careers, Jovic is just 21 and he was nominated for the Golden Boy award just last season. The talented winger has turned down moves to Turkey and Saudi Arabia with Celtic the latest club to be linked. Valued at €2m, the Serbia international would represent a smart signing for clubs looking for a bargain with high potential.
Market Value
N. Jovic
Left Winger
€1.50m
Souleyman Doumbia is surprisingly still unattached after leaving Angers. The talented left-back was a solid performer in Ligue 1 and Brighton were reportedly monitoring him last January. Valued at €2m, Doumbia possesses international experience with the Ivory Coast and he will be an attractive option for clubs looking to bolster their defensive options.
Market Value
S. Doumbia
Left-Back
€1.00m
Darko Velkovski has amassed 48 caps for North Macedonia but the €1.8m valued star is still looking for his next club. Velkovski departed Al-Ettifaq in August after falling out of favour and it’s understood that he’s keen to remain in Saudi Arabia.
Market Value
D. Velkovski
Centre-Back
€1.00m
Roberto Soriano has nine caps for Italy but he’s been unable to find a club since leaving Bologna in the summer. The veteran midfielder was valued at €17m while at Villareal in 2017 but he’s now dropped €1.8m. The former Bayern Munich youngster has been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest and he could provide valuable experience to a relegation-threatened side in England.
Market Value
R. Soriano
Attacking Midfield
€900k