Pallois, Savanier, Saivet and a slow market for veteran free agents | OneFootball

With Ligue 2 days from kick-off, many experienced free agents remain unattached. According to L'Équipe, notable thirtysomethings from 2025-2026 still without clubs include Téji Savanier, Nicolas Pallois, Jérôme Roussillon, Dominique Guidi, Christopher Jullien and Flavien Tait.

There is a market for big-CV players, but it comes with caveats. Savanier is drawing interest from the top flight and Gulf, while most others wait.

One agent says clubs under strain prioritise youngsters on minimum deals, hoping for a breakout. Even in second-tier overseas markets, demand is mainly for youth.

Dijon chief executive Paul Fauvel calls this a slow window, citing the World Cup, finances and academy output. He seeks a balance of one third leaders, one third intermediates and one third homegrown, highlighting 34-year-old Michaël Barreto’s role in last season’s promotion.

Laval president Laurent Lairy agrees, signing Francis Coquelin, 35, to lead. He says recruiters prize athletic data as Ligue 2 quickens and youngsters arrive better prepared through nutrition and individual programmes, though experience still counts.

Dunkerque’s Steven Nzonzi says the market is increasingly business-led, clubs chase resale value, so players aged 28-30 struggle to find projects.

Fauvel says some veterans from before the TV-rights slump must reset salary expectations. An agent argues older heads are undervalued, citing Troyes and Le Mans, who leaned on experience and finished top two last season.

Most expect movement to accelerate late August, once early games expose gaps to fill.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”