Free Agents Football Market Still Alive After Deadline As Serie A Top Clubs Aiming Big
The transfer window may be closed, but the free-agent market is still active, with big names searching for redemption and guaranteed playing time.
Andrea Locorotondo
Updated on 04 February 2026
Free agents football market still full of big names
Market closed? Not really.
Even though official negotiations ended on February 2, the free-agent market is still wide open.
And, looking through the names on this list, there are some big names looking for redemption and guaranteed playing time.
Let’s take a look at them together.
Raheem Sterling headlines free-agent list
Raheem Sterling is definitely the most intriguing name here.
The Englishman left Chelsea at the end of January, so he’s free to settle wherever he wants.
He’s probably trying to play and get back into Tuchel’s good graces for a last-minute call-up to the World Cup.
He’s scored 123 goals in the English league and 27 in the Champions League. Roma and Napoli tried to sign him, but his salary is too high.
Jesse Lingard is mostly known for his time at a post-Ferguson Manchester United that was in disarray, but he still won the 2017 Europa League with the Red Devils.
He also made 182 Premier League appearances and scored 29 goals.
His career never really took off due to physical and character limitations, until his last few years in South Korea with Seoul, the capital’s team.
The 33-year-old Englishman is currently on the lookout for a new team.
Dele Alli seek fresh starts while Sergio Ramos wants his last dance
More than his talent that got him noticed early on at Tottenham, Italian fans probably remember Dele Alli’s rough time at Como.
He only played one game, against Milan, and he got a red card after just 10 minutes.
So far, that’s the last time the 29-year-old Englishman played an official match. His contract with Como was terminated in September 2025, and he’s been searching for a new team ever since.
The oldest one here is 39 years old, but it’s also one of the most evocative names.
After 16 years at Real Madrid and a bunch of trophies won (four Champions Leagues and five Spanish championships, to name a few), Sergio Ramos played another five seasons between PSG, Sevilla, and Monterrey.
Now that he’s a free agent after his stint with the Mexican club, the Spaniard’s future could be back in Seville, as a player but also as an owner.
He’s in talks with a group of investors to purchase the club.
Andrea Locorotondo
Andrea Locorotondo is an Italian sports journalist. He has been living in the UK since 2015 and he is accredited by the SJA and AIPS. In addition to his role as contributor for FootItalia, he has demonstrated his ability to effectively cover a range of positions in sports journalism. Former Sportitalia TV journalist back in 2014, he is currently employed as a data journalist for Opta and Sportsdata. He is the team leader of Italian commentators at GBVision. He collaborates with EA Sports and frequently appears as a guest on Italian radio and television shows, including RDS Serie A TV and La Fiera del Calcio, where he shares his insights as a Premier League expert.
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