5 Most Valuable Free Agents Still On The Market – Including A Former Manchester United Star

The January transfer window is now long gone, as teams begin to prepare for another hectic summer. There are still possible movements to be made, however – plenty of talented free agents are still on the market.

Sometimes, no matter how good a player is, they struggle to settle in at certain clubs – ultimately, this can lead to their release, allowing them to be snapped up for free.

Today, we’ll be looking at the five most valuable free agents who are available for a transfer move, according to Transfermarkt. Please note, all player valuations in this list are merely hypothetical.

In this piece, we’ll be looking at players who have turned out for massive clubs such as Aston Villa, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the past. But who are they?

Anwar El Ghazi

Former Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi has been a free agent since November – while his time at Villa Park was unremarkable, at 28, he is in his theoretical prime.

The nature of his release from Mainz sparked controversy – his contract was terminated by the German club after he expressed his support for Palestine in the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Many audiences criticised Mainz’s decision to let El Ghazi go, as he continued to stand by his sentiment. Nevertheless, no team has offered him an olive branch as of yet.

Jairo Torres

The youngest player on the list at 23, Jairo Torres left his old club, Chicago Fire, on February 9 and is now looking for a new club to take him on.

As such, he could be a canny acquisition for anyone willing to take a punt on him – moreover, as he is now a free agent, it would also be relatively risk-free.

A promising talent as a youngster, he has yet to realise his true potential as a footballer – he’s now looking for the perfect club to unlock the extent of his abilities.

Xeka

Once a highly-regarded talent at Lille, Xeka has been a free agent since last August. His career has floundered since 2022, but he could still prove to be a valuable acquisition.

A technically-gifted midfielder, he is no slouch when it comes to the physical side of things at 6ft 1. With this in mind, he could enjoy success in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, having been out of action for so long, he will need time and patience to get back to match fitness. It is not a transfer without risk – but it could pay dividends.

Andy Delort

Nomadic forward Andy Delort is currently searching for the 13th club of his career – he was released by Qatari outfit Umm Salal on February 12.

Any team looking for an experienced striker could do far worse than Delort. While he is a very intelligent and technically-gifted player, it should be noted that he struggled everywhere outside of France.

He enjoyed the best spells of his career at Tours, Montpellier and Nice – in contrast, at Wigan Athletic, he failed to score a single goal over the course of 11 appearances.

David De Gea

By far the most high-profile player on the list, David De Gea was once considered the best goalkeeper in the world – now, however, he is somewhat antiquated in the modern game.

A spectacular shot-stopper, De Gea’s ability to command his area and deal with set pieces is conversely spotty. Moreover, he is reportedly commanding an astronomical wage.

As of now, no club has decided that the risk is worth it. Even moneybags outfits who need a new goalkeeper, such as Newcastle United, are coy on the idea of bringing him on board.