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We're in July and the free agent market is still packed with top talent. There has been plenty of movement already this summer transfer window. Several top clubs have expedited their business in order to get a headstart on the competition with pre-season set to get underway in a few days.
Several high-profile players were expected to be on the move this summer with a number of them becoming free agents at the end of the 2022-23 season. While most of those popular ones have already found clubs, some of these very recognizable faces continue to be without a team.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best players who are still available for free this transfer window (July 2023).
#5 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's Liverpool stint has been a mixed bag. The Englishman started off on a positive note, negotiating a positional change from the wing to central midfield in an admirable fashion. His energy, ball progression skills, and shooting ability served the Merseysiders well in his early days at the club.
The former Arsenal man played a key role in Liverpool's Champions League triumph in the 2018-19 season.
Since then, however, his days in Merseyside were blighted by injuries and fitness issues. By the 2022-23 season, he had truly morphed into a peripheral member of the squad.
Oxlade-Chamberlain started just four Premier League matches this past term for the Reds. Liverpool didn't need to think twice about his contract which was set to expire at the end of the campaign. The 29-year-old was recently linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League but nothing has come of it yet.
#4 Wilfried Zaha
Wilfried Zaha has been one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League in recent times. He has been invaluable to Crystal Palace but the Eagles as a collective unit have only flattered to deceive at best.
The Ivory Coast international is currently a free agent after his contract expired last month. But Zaha is unlikely to remain in the free agent market for long as he has no shortage of options on the table.
According to the Guardian, Zaha has received offers from top clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli. Teams like Lazio, Fenerbahce, and Al-Nassr have also signaled their interest while Crystal Palace's doors remain open to him.
#3 Isco
Isco has had a pretty good career and even played a starring role in some of Real Madrid's European and domestic triumphs in the last decade. However, his form has dwindled drastically over the last several years, and has become an unwanted commodity in the free agent market.
He joined Sevilla last summer but they terminated his contract in December with coach Jorge Sampaoli saying the Spaniard did not meet their expectations.
Isco's free agency seems to be getting perpetuated by his high salary demands and there is hardly any noise surrounding his future right now. He is only 31 and the former Real Madrid man definitely has something to offer for a relatively smaller club.
Saudi Arabia seems like a potential destination where his wage demands could be met. But there have been no approaches from there as yet.
#2 Sergio Ramos
Legendary Spanish defender Sergio Ramos' two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired at the end of June. Ramos is one of the most decorated footballers of the modern era and has won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
He won two Ligue 1 titles with PSG in his two seasons in France but having turned 37, PSG understandably did not want to give him an extension. According to Fabrizio Romano, the iconic center-back has been approached by MLS outfit Inter Miami as well as two Saudi clubs.
#1 David de Gea
After some reportedly unsavoury back-and-forth in negotiations over a new deal, Manchester United has now confirmed David de Gea's departure after 12 years at the club. The Spanish goalkeeper has been a standout performer for the Red Devils, especially in the first few years of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
However, he seemed to have lost his mojo in recent seasons, and his frailties as a goalkeeper in the modern game have been exposed regularly of late. While he is still a world-class shot-stopper, De Gea's distribution and decision-making with the ball at his feet are sub-par.
At 32, he still has several years left and is likely to seek a move back to his home country Spain.
