Европын томоохон лигүүдийн тоглогч солилцооны цонх хаагдсан ч зарим нэрт тоглогчид шинэ баг олоогүй эсвэл клубтээ үлдэхээс өөр аргагүйд хүрсэн хүндхэн нөхцөл байдал үүсээд байна.
Ришарлисон Тоттенхэмд үлдэж болзошгүй байгаа бол Фоларин Балогун Эвертонд шилжих тохиролцооноос сүүлийн мөчид татгалзсан нь олны анхаарлыг татлаа. Түүнчлэн Жэдон Санчо, Дани Карвахал, Карим Бензема болон Танги Ндомбеле нар чөлөөт агентын статустай үлдсэн бол Манчестер Юнайтедын довтлогч Жошуа Зиркзее багтаа үлдэж, тоглолтын цаг нь багасах эрсдэлтэй тулгарч байна.
Тоглогчид Турк, Саудын Араб, Мексик болон Португалийн лигүүд зэрэг трансферийн цонх нь хараахан хаагдаагүй зах зээлүүд рүү шилжих боломжтой хэвээр байна. Зарим тоглогчдын хувьд бэртэл гэмтэл болон гэрээний асуудлууд нь шилжилт хөдөлгөөнд нь сөргөөр нөлөөлсөн бол Челсигийн хамгаалагч Аарон Анселмино өвлийн цонхыг хүртэл багадаа үлдэж, биеийн байдлаа сайжруулах шаардлагатай болжээ.
Эдгээр тоглогчдын ирээдүй одоогоор тодорхойгүй байгаа бөгөөд зарим нь зодог тайлах эсвэл дараагийн боломжоо хүлээхээс өөр аргагүйд хүрч байна. Тэдний зарим нь гэрээний нөхцөл хангалтгүй байсан эсвэл багийн бүрэлдэхүүнд багтах боломж багассанаас шалтгаалан ийм нөхцөл байдалд орсон байна.
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One after the other on Tuesday, transfer windows shut around Europe. While some players got the moves they wanted, others did not, leaving them mired in the murky depths of squads with little hope of a first team opportunity.
But there are still some options open. The Turkish transfer window does not shut until September 4. Clubs from Saudi Arabia can sign players until October 12. The Mexican and Portuguese markets will remain open until September 11 and 15. Then there are those free agents who are not bound by those deadlines.
Here is a list of players who need to find a new home, one way or another.
Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur)
Just a few days ago, Richarlison seemed set to move to his former club Everton, which he described as “the club of my heart” in a statement released on Instagram. But a deal that separately involved Iliman Ndiaye moving the other way collapsed.
Having recruited Omar Marmoush as a striker option to compete with Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, who finished as Tottenham’s top scorer last term with 11 Premier League goals, may now be surplus to requirements. He is still a capable goalscorer at the top level — even though he does not always convince with his back to goal — and has attracted interest from Turkey and (previously) Saudi Arabia, where the window has not yet shut.
Two years ago, he told reporters from ESPN Brasil he had rebuffed interest from an unnamed club in Saudi Arabia because he intended to continue competing for Brazil’s No 9 shirt. On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that he had been the subject of a failed bid from Trabzonspor.
Elias Burke
Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
Balogun was at the centre of one of the craziest sagas on deadline day — and now finds himself in limbo.
As detailed by The Athletic, a deal was agreed between Monaco and Everton on Monday evening, and the United States striker flew into Liverpool on Tuesday to complete his medical.
But an issue was flagged by Everton during the medical, prompting the deal to be restructured. Everton would have paid less up front, with more of the fee tied to performance-based add-ons. Everton and Monaco agreed a dealsheet and signed the contract, only for Balogun to pull out of the deal at the last minute.
Everton’s deal to sign Folarin Balogun fell through at the last minute (Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images)
“At the last moment, the player decided not to sign,” Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said at a press conference on Wednesday. “And basically, Balogun’s allegation is that I’m not feeling well because of the way the club treated me. I’m not feeling well because Everton’s medical department raised doubts about my future or my health.”
Balogun, who changed agent in recent weeks to Jorge Mendes, had been expected to leave Monaco this summer, but faces uncertainty over what comes next. There will be no Premier League return for the Arsenal youth graduate this summer, but some other markets are still open and available.
Tom Burrows
Jadon Sancho (free agent)
The closest Sancho has got to a new club this summer was when a fake social media post claimed he was headed to Brazilian side Palmeiras. Alas, that was not true and the former England winger, worth €85million ($99m; £73m at current exchange rates) just five years ago and now unattached at 26, has no clear options.
In early summer, there was a small chance of a return to Borussia Dortmund, where he has always played his best football, but that disappeared when the Bundesliga club were able to secure higher priority targets.
There has been Major League Soccer interest and mild curiosity from Turkey, but it is difficult to know where he turns next.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
Jadon Sancho during Aston Villa’s Europa League celebrations in May (Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Dani Carvajal (free agent)
Carvajal, who was Real Madrid captain until this summer, is also still without a club.
Sources close to the 34-year-old — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say the reason is straightforward: the offers he received from European clubs before the transfer deadline were not attractive enough.
Carvajal was instrumental in Real Madrid’s most recent Champions League triumph and Spain’s 2024 European Championship victory. But an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee disrupted his final season at the club and prevented him from establishing any real continuity.
After several setbacks during his recovery, Carvajal is looking for an opportunity that can give him that regular playing time again. The United States and Saudi Arabia are among the destinations he is considering.
In the meantime, Carvajal has been working intensively on his fitness this summer alongside his brother-in-law, the former Madrid striker Joselu, at the Spanish football federation’s facilities in the Spanish capital.
Guillermo Rai
Aaron Anselmino (Chelsea)
The reason for Anselmino’s current predicament can be summarised in one word: injuries.
Hamstring issues have plagued the 21-year-old centre-back during his short professional career, and played a major role in limiting his opportunities to develop during short loan stints at Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg last season.
Aaron Anselmino has been beset by injuries during his short career (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Staying at Cobham for now could provide a chance for Anselmino to finally get his body right and perhaps earn some minutes in the domestic cup competitions, before finding a suitable destination on loan where he can demonstrate his ability in January.
Liam Twomey
Karim Benzema (free agent)
After three seasons in the Saudi Pro League, Benzema is ready to bring his time in Saudi Arabia to an end.
The 38-year-old former Real Madrid striker has had a turbulent spell since moving to the country, with issues at both Al Ittihad, where he spent two seasons, and Al Hilal, where he played last season.
The arrival of Ollie Watkins this summer effectively closed the door to Benzema, who left Al Hilal by mutual consent on Monday and is now considering retirement as a genuine option, according to sources close to the situation.
Should he decide to continue playing, the United States and other destinations in the Middle East are among the possibilities being considered.
Guillermo Rai
Karim Benzema has left Al Hilal (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United)
Interest in Zirkzee persisted right up until the final hours of the window — but ultimately, despite chatter around his future all summer, the forward is still at Manchester United and minutes look in short supply.
In the Premier League last season, Zirkzee made just five starts and played 626 minutes. He is behind Benjamin Sesko in the pecking order while Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have also been used as centre-forwards.
United were open to an exit this summer, but interest from clubs in Serie A (the Dutch forward joined United from Bologna in 2024) did not produce results. Zirkzee turned down a move to Fiorentina on loan and Juventus, who were interested, signed Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade on loan instead.
His final opportunity came late on Tuesday evening with an offer from Everton and the player was keen — but United rejected the proposal, with too little time left to find a replacement.
Cerys Jones
Tanguy Ndombele (free agent)
When Tottenham broke their record transfer fee to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon for £55million, hopes were high that the north London club had found the next best midfield talent out of France. But in the seven years since, Ndombele’s career has nosedived and he is now a free agent after an injury-hit season at Nice.
Aged 29, the seven-time France international’s best days are now surely behind him — although he was a frequent starter for Nice before injuries took their toll, while he played a role in title-winning seasons at Napoli and Galatasaray.
It is easy to fall in love with Ndombele’s obvious talent, but a revival at a top club in a big-five league seems unlikely at this stage.
Elias Burke
Tanguy Ndombele left Nice this summer (Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Tyrell Malacia (free agent)
It is somewhat ironic that the loudest criticism of Manchester United’s summer business has been not signing a left-back, when one departed for free. But Malacia’s United career has not looked like coming back to life in a long time.
Malacia was the first arrival under Erik ten Hag and made 39 appearances in his debut 2022-23 season, but to say his availability plummeted after that is an understatement. A knee injury derailed his United career, resulting in him undergoing surgery in summer 2023 and again in November the same year.
He missed the entire rest of Ten Hag’s tenure, made eight appearances in 2024-25 before being loaned to PSV, and was one of five players training separately to the first team last summer. There were three token cameos in 2025-26 — but it came as a surprise to nobody that the 27-year-old departed as a free agent once his contract expired this summer.
Cerys Jones
