The Year of Free Transfers

I don’t know about you, but I am certainly looking forward to the release of FM14.  With all the financial fair play regulations coming into effect within the Championship this coming season, how is this going to effect the clubs on FM.  I expect alot of Championship teams to be doing their dealings within the free transfer market this pre-season.  So, with this in mind, let’s have a look to see what potential free transfer targets might be out there for when we embark on our first season when FM14 is released.

Ok, granted, all the best free transfer players might have been snapped up by the time the game comes out.  Also, some on the list below might not actually be interested in dropping down to the Championship but you never know what might happen over the next two and a bit months.  However, maybe this could be a potential change to the game SI could make.  Giving us the option of starting the game from two different player databases.  The options being you can start the game with either the squad your team ended with at the end of last season or with the squad including all the signings they made during the pre-season just gone (as you do now).  This would mean any Tottenham fans starting a game on FM13, would of been able to start the game before Adebayor signed permanently.  For other potential game improvements, have a look at our wishlist blog.

Anyway, free transfers – this list of players was correct at the time this article was written including players who have either already been released or had been offered a new contract.

Goalkeepers

Craig Gordon

The one time record breaking goalkeeper hasn’t played over the last season due to injury and is helping coach somewhere up in Scotland.  Rumour has it, he is looking for a new club – could be worth a punt.

Lee Camp

Released by Norwich after only 6 months and playing 1 game for them during that period.  A couple of seasons ago, he was rumoured to be the best keeper outside of the Premier League.  At only 28, could still do a job in the Championship.

Other Goalkeeping options are…

Lukasz Fabianski, Ross Turnbull, Adriano Basso

Defenders

Titus Bramble

Now depending on who you are, some of you might think Titus is an absolute donkey, but Titus I think would be a very good Championship footballer – you might just have to replace him if/when you get promoted.

Richard Dunne

Spent most of last season injured at Aston Villa and isn’t getting any younger.  Still an International player though and scores his fair share of goals each season from defence.

Other defending options are….

Wayne Bridge, Nicky Shorey, Gonzalo Jara, Jon Hartley, Elliott Ward, William Gallas

Midfielders

Simon Davies

Spent last season playing at Fulham and is rumoured to be going Cardiff but with them potentially losing their manager, could end up playing in the Championship next season.

Simone Perrotta

Italian world cup winning midfielder who is out of contract at AS Roma.  At the age of 35, I cannot see any premiership teams taking a chance on him so maybe open to a move to a Championship team (after all, he was born in Ashford-under-Lyme).

Other midfielding options are….

Tiago, Mathieu Flamini, Joaquin, Yossi Benayoun, Phil Neville, Zoltan Gera, Florent Malouda, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Andrey Arshavin, Owen Hargreaves

Strikers

Carlton Cole

A big asset for any Championship team next season.  Didn’t quite cut it for West Ham last season and is the reason behind them letting him go.  A big powerful front man who knows where the back of the net is.

Mido

On loan at Barnsley last season and only managed 1 goal – could be worth a punt to draw the crowds in and make some shirt sales money.

Other striking options are….

Louis Saha, Javier Saviola, Heider Helguson, Jay Simpson

If  we also had the ability to be able to tempt players back out of retirement to help clubs out, it might of been worth asking Michael Owen or Nwankwo Kanu if they fancied a game (although the likes of Championship side Yeovil succeeding in doing this would have been very slim!).

I am sure there are plenty of other decent players on free transfers out there which I have missed so if you know of any, let us know here at footballmanager2014.