Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba lead the best free agents still available after 2026 transfer deadline

A Ballon d'Or winner, two Real Madrid captains and a five-time Premier League champion are among a deep pool of unattached talent left over once the summer window shut.

The 2026 summer transfer window closed on September 1, and Premier League clubs alone spent more than £3.4bn chasing squad upgrades before the deadline.

None of that spending touches most of the players covered here. Each name below is out of contract and free to sign for any club, at any moment, with no fee attached and no deadline forcing their hand.

Some are established veterans winding down; others left their previous club only in the past few weeks.

Sports Mole takes a look at the best free agents still available on the market after the 2026 summer transfer deadline day, running from goalkeeper through defence, midfield and attack.

Best free agents - Goalkeeper

Neto

Neto returned to Brazilian football in August 2025 when Bournemouth let him leave for Botafogo, but the move lasted barely a year. The 37-year-old Brazilian terminated his contract with the Rio club this summer and is now a free agent once again.

A Serie A and Coppa Italia winner with Juventus and a Copa del Rey winner with both Valencia and Barcelona, Neto has long operated as a dependable understudy and squad option at the highest level, including two years at Bournemouth and a loan spell as backup at Arsenal.

His experience across four major European leagues makes him a low-risk pickup for a club needing reliable goalkeeping depth.

Best free agents - Defenders

The back-line options are the most experienced group on the market, headlined by two former Real Madrid regulars who left the Bernabeu within weeks of each other, plus a versatile left-back looking to save his career after injury derailed a fresh start.

Dani Carvajal

Carvajal's Real Madrid exit was announced on May 18, closing out 13 years and 450 appearances in the first team. His deal was not terminated early — the club confirmed the parties had agreed he would leave at the conclusion of the season, when his contract was already due to expire in June.

He won 27 major honours in that spell, including six Champions League titles, making him one of only five players in the competition's history to reach that number.

Because his contract ran its course rather than being cut short, Carvajal keeps full free-agent registration rights under FIFA rules and can join a new club at any point this season.

He has spent the summer training at the Spanish Football Federation's facilities in Las Rozas alongside fellow free agent Joselu, and no club has yet been credibly linked with a signing.

David Alaba

Alaba left Real Madrid in May after five years at the club — a spell that yielded 11 trophies by the club's own count, including two La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns — and his contract was not renewed.

His representatives fielded interest from Juventus, Inter and AC Milan earlier in the summer, though none of the three Serie A clubs moved beyond preliminary contact. Manchester United have also been credibly linked, with reports citing the club's need for cover across full-back and centre-back positions, though as of deadline day United had opted against signing anyone at left-back, suggesting any move for the 34-year-old would come later in the market rather than imminently.

Alaba's recent seasons have been disrupted by significant injury problems, a factor that has likely slowed his market rather than the level of his ability.

Sergio Ramos

Ramos has been without a club since leaving Mexican side Monterrey in December 2025 and has made no announcement about retirement.

Earlier this year he led a consortium bidding for a controlling stake in his former club Sevilla; the approach has since stalled without a deal materialising.

At 40, any move now would likely be framed as a short-term, low-risk squad option rather than a first-choice starting role.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko's situation has unravelled fast. A year ago he was a title-winning, Champions League-tested full-back with more than 90 Arsenal appearances; today he is a free agent recovering from ACL surgery, without a club, and having missed out on a World Cup place with Ukraine.

Arsenal moved him on to Ajax in a cut-price permanent deal in February after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest went nowhere, but the switch to Amsterdam ended almost as soon as it began - a serious knee injury restricted him to just 25 minutes of football before Ajax declined to extend his short-term contract at the end of June.

At 29, and still working through rehabilitation, Zinchenko's versatility across left-back and midfield remains a point in his favour, but his fitness and lack of recent action make him one of the market's harder sells.

Best free agents - Midfielders

This tier is dominated by attacking midfielders whose best years came a decade ago, alongside one still-live saga that flared up on deadline day itself.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Wijnaldum left Al-Ettifaq this summer and remains unattached. Reports on September 2 and 3 said Chelsea had made contact over a short-term deal after their attempt to sign Monaco's Lamine Camara collapsed on deadline day and Enzo Fernandez departed for Manchester City, with a reunion alongside former Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson floated as part of the appeal.

However, Fabrizio Romano has since reported that Chelsea are playing down the story, so the move is far from confirmed.

His career includes a Premier League title and a Champions League win with Liverpool, giving him a pedigree well above the level he's played at in recent seasons in Saudi Arabia.

Paul Pogba

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Monaco terminated Pogba's contract in August, roughly ten months before it was due to expire, after injuries limited him to just six appearances since his return from an 18-month doping ban that ended in March 2025.

He joined Monaco last summer specifically to rebuild fitness and form following the suspension, but has struggled to string together consistent minutes.

Pogba remains one of the highest-profile names on the free-agent list purely on reputation, though his physical fitness record is the obvious concern for any interested club.

Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho terminated his contract with Vasco da Gama in February, citing mental exhaustion after being booed by his own fans, ending a spell back in his native Brazil.

He commanded a club-record fee when he left Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018, a deal that remains among the largest ever paid for a Brazilian player.

Reported interest from Mexico and MLS has yet to produce a deal, and a rumoured move to Sao Paulo was denied by the Brazilian club in August.

At 34, and with no advanced negotiations reported as of early September, Coutinho's best form now looks several years behind him.

James Rodriguez

Rodriguez is without a club following a brief, quiet stint with MLS side Minnesota United, whose contract with him expired in June.

His market value has fallen sharply from his peak, standing at roughly €1.5m according to Transfermarkt, but he remains one of the more naturally gifted attacking midfielders still available.

Dele Alli

Alli has been a free agent for a full year, having had his contract terminated by Serie A strugglers Como in September 2025 after a single substitute appearance that ended in a red card.

Interest has surfaced periodically - four La Liga clubs, including Sevilla and Real Oviedo, were credited with offers earlier this year, while a return to boyhood club MK Dons was also mooted, but nothing has materialised.

The former Tottenham playmaker, still only 29, has managed just one senior appearance since February 2023, and his path back to regular football looks increasingly narrow.

Best free agents - Forwards

The forward pool contains the most decorated name on the entire market, plus two Premier League veterans still hunting for a next chapter.

Karim Benzema

Al-Hilal and Benzema mutually terminated his contract on August 31, six months after he joined the club from Al-Ittihad and with a year still left to run on the deal.

The move came amid a striking overhaul at Al-Hilal, who brought in Ollie Watkins, Crysencio Summerville and Gabriel Martinelli in a combined outlay of more than £165m, pushing Benzema out of Simone Inzaghi's plans.

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner scored 354 goals in 648 appearances across 14 years at Real Madrid, winning five Champions League titles among a club-record 25 trophies. His next move — a return to Europe, MLS, or retirement — remains unclear.

Riyad Mahrez

Mahrez left Al-Ahli this summer after scoring 37 goals and providing 50 assists in 122 appearances across three seasons, a spell that included back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles.

He drew interest from Roma and Como in Europe, though neither produced a concrete offer.

As of early September, reports suggest he has reached an agreement in principle with Al-Shabab, ahead of rivals Al-Ettifaq, though the move is still awaiting financial clearance from Saudi authorities before it can be formally registered.

Jamie Vardy

Vardy left Cremonese this summer after the Italian club's relegation to Serie B prompted them to release him.

He had joined Cremonese after 13 years at Leicester City, the club where he won the Premier League title in 2016.

Wrexham have made an approach and remain in the frame, while West Ham and Brazilian side Sao Paulo are also credited with interest — a proposed move to boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday has reportedly been ruled out by EFL registration restrictions, and a mooted return to the Premier League with Manchester United has been dismissed as unlikely.

Jadon Sancho

Sancho left Manchester United as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, five years after his move from Borussia Dortmund. United chose not to trigger an extension option that would have allowed them to recoup a fee.

Loan spells at Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa followed a breakdown in his United career, and he managed just 12 goals and six assists in 83 appearances across his time at Old Trafford.

With no top club willing to take a chance on a free transfer, Sancho spent part of the summer training with non-league side Flixton FC to stay fit.

As of early September, he is reported to have agreed a move to Brazilian giants Palmeiras on a two-year deal with a further option — a switch that, if confirmed, would take one of the market's highest-profile names off the board.

Raheem Sterling

Sterling is a free agent for the second time in a year. He left Chelsea by mutual consent in January after over 18 months out in the cold, then joined Feyenoord on a short-term deal under Robin van Persie in February — but that stint also fell short, with the Dutch club declining to extend his contract after a underwhelming eight appearances.

A four-time Premier League champion with Manchester City and 82 England caps to his name, Sterling's pedigree remains considerable, but his last two moves suggest his stock has fallen further than his resume would suggest. He is once again searching for a club willing to offer him regular football.