Who are the best free agents still available for clubs to sign? | OneFootball

The January transfer window closed on Monday, after Premier League clubs spent a reported £405m on new signings.

However, there is still business that can be done, with a number of well-known players available on the free agent market.

Here are some of the top players still available to sign.

Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) via ONE FOOTBALL

Raheem Sterling was very much part of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’, having not played a single minute for the club this season following his return from a largely unsuccessful loan spell at Arsenal last campaign.

However, the winger has recently had his contract at Chelsea mutually terminated and will now be looking to revive his career. There is no denying that the Englishman is no longer the player he once was and has certainly lost the burst of pace that used to give many a full-back nightmares; however, he could still offer something to teams in need of a boost in attack.

The 31 year-old has scored 123 Premier League goals, the vast majority of them for Manchester City, and in the right environment, he could potentially add experience and goals to a struggling side.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

The Englishman has recently been training with his former club Arsenal as he looks to maintain fitness following his release from Turkish club Besiktas. There were even very murmurs that he could be making a permanent return to the north London club in which he spent over six years, after it was revealed Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino is set to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.

And when Mikel Arteta was asked about such rumours, he remained characteristically coy and said: “‘We explore every option.”

However, there have recently been many more credible rumours linking Oxlade-Chamberlain with a move to Celtic. He began his career as a promising, pacey winger at Southampton and Arsenal but matured into a central midfielder thanks to his technical quality, while retaining the physical attributes that once made him such an exciting winger. 

Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

This list has so far exclusively been mercurial English talents, and that trend continues with our next pick. Lingard was most recently at FC Seoul, having spent nearly two years at the Korean club. His move to Asia came after a forgettable spell at Nottingham Forest, where he failed to register a single goal or assist in 17 Premier League appearances at the City Ground.

There have been rumours linking the attacking midfielder with a return to West Ham, the club where he enjoyed the best form of his career back in 2020/21, however, no transfer has materialised for the Englishman, meaning he is still available on the market. 

Kurt Zouma

Kurt Zouma (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

From one former West Ham player to another, defender Kurt Zouma moved to Romanian club CFR Cluj in September, only to have his contract terminated last month. Just three years ago, the Frenchman was named West Ham captain, but he is now without a club after making only four appearances for Cluj.

The now 31-year-old joined Chelsea in 2014 as one of the most precocious defensive talents in the world. While he did not quite reach the world-class heights many expected, he still carved out a very respectable career and remains a Premier League-calibre defender.

The French international could prove to be a very shrewd pick-up for any side in need of short-term defensive reinforcement. 

Dele Alli

Dele Alli (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

The Englishman played just one game for Italian side Como, however, that one appearance lasted just ten minutes as he was sent off for a late challenge on fellow Englishman Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Alli has been without a club since his contract from the Serie A club was terminated in September, after manager Cesc Fabregas stated that the Englishman was not in his plans. Back in 2024, while at Everton, Alli set his sights on making England’s 2026 World Cup squad. That dream now seems unlikely.

After several turbulent years and repeated unsuccessful stints at different clubs, he will be aiming simply to rebuild his career and find some stability.