All 231 Premier League and Championship players without a club amid Stoke City transfer hunt
More than 200 players in the Premier League and Championship will officially become free agents this weekend.
Clubs in the top two divisions have been confirming their retained lists in recent weeks for players whose contracts are due to run out on Friday, June 30. Some – but not that many – have already been unveiled at new clubs, including Rangers-bound Jack Butland and Dujon Sterling, as well as Ashley Barnes, Jay Dasilva, and Haydon Roberts.
Pre-season has already started in the second tier and, with top flight squads due back over the next few days, the balance will flip in negotiations. Players and agents who have been holding out for the best offers will now be keen to get going – and get paid.
There are familiar names that will have more options than others, such as departing Swansea full-backs Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere. Manning was one of the stand-out players in the division last season and has today been linked with Sheffield United and Southampton, Leeds and Luton. Latibeaudiere is currently in the United States on international duty with Jamaica, winning 4-1 against Trinidad and Tobago last night.
Centre-back Michael Rose, who is leaving Coventry, was subject of serious interest from Stoke City in January while Darnell Fisher, who has had two injury-ravaged years at Middlesbrough, was an Alex Neil favourite at Preston North End. Josh Ruffels ended the season strongly at Huddersfield Town while Gary Rowett admits it was a tough decision to release Scott Malone and Mason Bennett at Millwall.
Axel Tuanzebe, who spent the second half of last season at Stoke, has been let go by Manchester United and needs to find fitness and play games. Ciaran Clark, who has previously been on Stoke’s target list, is leaving Newcastle United after a season on loan on the fringes at Sheffield United.
Luton Town have released captain and club stalwart Sonny Bradley, Stoke favourite Asmir Begovic has been linked with Luton after leaving Everton, Andre Ayew and Jack Colback are on their way out of Nottingham Forest, Fulham left-back Ziyad Larkeche is being linked with QPR, Man Utd’s Ethan Galbraith had an eye-catching season on loan at Salford City, Arsenal winger Joel Ideho has been linked with Burnley.
There are other players too who have been offered a contract at their current clubs – and a few, like Daniel Johnson at Preston, who have confirmed that they will not be signing.
At Bristol City, Han-Noah Massengo is also linked with Burnley while Tomas Kalas is keeping them waiting. There has been no update from Cardiff on Mark Harris, who has been trailed by Stoke, and Coventry fans are sweating that captain Liam Kelly might turn down the deal on the table.
Free agents from July 1
GOALKEEPERS
Prince Adegoke (Chelsea), Asmir Begovic (Everton), Harrison Bond (Sunderland), Toby Bull (Brighton), Jacob Carney (Sunderland), Luke Daniels (Middlesbrough), Brian David Kinnear (West Ham), Aidan Dowling (Blackburn), Oscar George Kelly (Liverpool), Matthew Hall (Southampton), Ryan Hammond (Nottingham Forest), Robbie Hemfrey (Rotherham), Nicky Hogarth (Nottingham Forest), Liam Hughes (Liverpool), Adnan Kanuric (Nottingham Forest), Dan Langley (Newcastle), Joe Lumley (Middlesbrough), Michael McGovern (Norwich), Adam Parkes (Plymouth), Dillon Phillips (Cardiff), Roco Rees (Brentford), Joel Robles (Leeds),Ryan Schofield (Huddersfield), Tom Smith (Arsenal), Jordan Smith (Nottingham Forest), Andreas Sondergaard (Swansea), Jed Steer (Aston Villa), Jak Stewart (Southampton), Oliver Swan (Middlesbrough), Fynn Talley (Brighton), Tomáš Vaclík (Huddersfield).
RIGHT-BACKS
Derrick Abu (Chelsea), Joshua Addae (Crystal Palace), David Boateng (Crystal Palace), James Bolton (Plymouth), Sam Byram (Norwich), Kallum Cesay (Tottenham), Maxime Colin (Birmingham), Finley Craske (Plymouth), Fankaty Dabo (Coventry), Julien Dacosta (Coventry), Demeaco Duhaney (Stoke), Darnell Fisher (Middlesbrough), Brooklyn Genesini (Bournemouth), Tarik Gidaree (Bournemouth), Wes Harding (Rotherham), Jack Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday), Ethan Kachosa (Sunderland), Todd Kane (Coventry), Joel Latibeaudiere (Swansea), Henry Lawrence (Chelsea), Matt Lowton (Burnley), Luke Matheson (Wolves), Taylor Moore (Bristol City), Matthew Olosunde (Preston), Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo (Southampton), Sam Packham (Brighton), Dan Pike (Blackburn), Steven Sessegnon (Fulham), Joshua Thomas Stewart (Newcastle), Kane Vincent-Young (Ipswich), Charlie Wellens (Man Utd).
