Transfer Centre

Sports Mole's guide to free transfers

By Robert Summerscales, Reporter | 04 September 2012

With the transfer window now closed for another 119 days, Sports Mole takes a look at some of the best players that are still available on free transfers.

The summer transfer window slammed shut on Friday evening, ending months of posturing and speculation.

However, fear not, there are still many more deals that can be done (take note, Brendan Rodgers).

Premier League clubs are still free to add players on free transfers, as long as the individual was released by his previous club prior to the window closing.

Sports Mole has handpicked some of the big names that are still on the lookout for a new club.

Michael Owen
Age: 32
Position: Forward
Last club: Manchester United

Injury-prone and not as fast as he used to be, but Michael Owen is still one of the best finishers in the world game. He has maintained an impressive goals-to-game ratio throughout his 16-year career, including 40 goals in 89 senior international appearances for England.

Owen is unlikely to remain a free agent for long. He has hinted that his future is likely to be decided by Wednesday. Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is very keen to sign him.

Emile Heskey
Age: 34
Position: Forward
Last club: Aston Villa

Unlike Owen, Emile Heskey is far from being a prolific goalscorer. However, he certainly has a real presence and is the sort of player that most strikers dream of playing alongside. The big man played 62 times for England between 1999 and 2010.

Salif Diao
Age: 35
Position: Defensive midfielder
Last club: Stoke City

Despite his critics, who brand him sluggish and overly aggressive, Salif Diao has many years of valuable top-flight experience in England – most notably with Liverpool and Stoke City.

Diao turned down a coaching role at the Britannia Stadium in April in a bid to prolong his playing career. He made 14 first-team appearances for the Potters last season – half of them in the Europa League.

James McFadden
Age: 29
Position: Attacking midfielder/forward
Last club: Everton

James McFadden is considered by many to be one of the most talented Scottish footballers of his generation. His creativity and flair have often made him stick out like a sore thumb among his international teammates.

He has amassed 168 Premier League appearances to date, including 116 during two spells at Everton where he was something of a fans' favourite. He took part in pre-season training with Motherwell, however the SPL side are unlikely to offer him a contract because of their modest wage budget.

Nigel Reo-Coker
Age: 28
Position: Midfielder
Last club: Bolton Wanderers

Nigel Reo-Coker is an energetic box-to-box midfielder. He has real leadership experience, having captained West Ham United, Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.

He made 42 appearances for Bolton last season after arriving on a free transfer in May 2011. Villa had paid West Ham £7.5m for his services four years earlier.

Other notable free agents: Vince Grella, Ricardo Gardner, Marcus Hahnemann and John Mensah