While clubs must now wait until January for their next round of blockbuster signings, the free-agent pool still offers an intriguing opportunity.

Several high-profile names, many with Champions League pedigree and international caps, remain without clubs as the 2025/26 season begins. These players can still be signed outside the window, making them valuable options for clubs battling injuries, struggling with squad depth, or seeking tactical reinforcements.

Among the most eye-catching free agents is Hakim Ziyech, who brings creativity and Champions League experience, while Christian Eriksen offers midfield composure and leadership. Takehiro Tomiyasu, known for his versatility in defense, is another player expected to attract interest.

Dele Alli and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, once Premier League standouts, are also seeking fresh starts to revive their careers. For clubs in need of proven firepower, strikers such as Patrick Bamford, Karl Toko Ekambi, and Wissam Ben Yedder provide goal-scoring pedigree.

Defensive reinforcements are plentiful as well, with Samuel Umtiti, Ferland Mendy, Sergio Reguilón, and Juan Bernat all available to strengthen backlines. Midfielders like Tiémoué Bakayoko, Oriol Romeu, and Giacomo Bonaventura offer experienced options in the middle of the park.

Veterans with international flair also populate the list, including Lorenzo Insigne, Munir El Haddadi, and Daniel Amartey. Others, such as Adam Ounas, Rick Karsdorp, Marko Pjaca, Jason Denayer, and Andy Delort, provide depth and experience across multiple positions.

While the summer market delivered record-breaking spending, the availability of so many accomplished free agents underlines the unpredictability of modern football. These players may not command transfer fees, but their quality, experience, and leadership could prove decisive for ambitious clubs.

With the season only just beginning, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of these stars soon find new homes — perhaps even shaping title races, relegation battles, or European campaigns in the months ahead.

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Arsenal has officially announced that Takehiro Tomiyasu has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

Since joining from Bologna in 2021, the Japan international has been a crucial asset for the Gunners, showcasing his versatility by effectively covering various positions across the backline.

While his previous deal was set to expire in 2025, with an option for an additional year, Arsenal has taken proactive steps to secure Tomiyasu’s services by offering him an improved contract. The new agreement is reported to extend until 2026, with the possibility of an extra year included in the terms.

In a club statement, manager Mikel Arteta said: “We are so pleased to have Tomi commit his future with us. Together with his natural ability and strength, Tomi’s attitude, mentality and values are first-class. Tomi is loved by everyone and has been an integral part of the squad since joining us.

“The way he trains, with his desire and determination to be the best version of himself every day is admirable. We look forward to continue working with Tomi in the future years.”

Sporting director Edu added: “We are very excited to have Tomi with us for more years to come. He has huge qualities both on and off the pitch, and offers so much strength and versatility to our squad. Tomi is a top professional and it’s great that he’ll continue to play an important role in the coming years, as we work towards achieving our goals.”

Tomiyasu has made 20 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions so far this season, though has spent the last few months sidelined with a calf injury.

He has played 71 games in total for the Gunners, scoring once in that time.

💬 “It’s a dream to play for this club.”

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 20, 2024

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Mikel Arteta provided updates on Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba’s injuries and explained why Gabriel Jesus was substituted during Arsenal’s defeat against Sporting.

The Brazilian striker began his first game for the Gunners after missing more than four months due to a knee injury sustained at the World Cup.

Yet after Tomiyasu and Saliba were injured early on in Thursday’s Europa League match against Sporting, Jesus was substituted by Arsenal for the third time at halftime, raising concerns that his comeback had been hurried.

However, Arteta revealed after the match that this move was only a precaution, explaining to reporters: “We decided to do that because we had to manage the subs. Thank God we did take him out, especially after the two windows that we had to use in the first half. That was the plan. Leo [Trossard] is coming from an injury as well and we knew the game could go to extra time and we had to manage that. He looked OK.”

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The news for Arteta’s defensive fatalities wasn’t positive. Saliba had to be replaced immediately after Granit Xhaka’s opening goal despite there seeming to be no contact, while Tomiyasu was replaced after only eight minutes after overextending in a rush to thwart a dangerous Sporting attempt.

The Gunners boss didn’t appear hopeful about an immediate return, adding: “Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early. Willy [Saliba], I don’t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out.”

Thursday’s penalty shootout – in which Gabriel Martinelli agonisingly missed the decisive spot-kick – was Arsenal’s 23rd in all competitions (won 14 and lost nine) and just their second at home, after a 9-8 shootout win against Rotherham at Highbury in the League Cup back in October 2003.

The Gunners’ wait for European success continues after a 5-3 shootout defeat that followed a 3-3 overall draw.

But, with Arsenal still in the first place and hosting Crystal Palace in their next game on Sunday, where Patrick Vieira, a former Gunner, will not be in charge due to his dismissal on Friday, Arteta’s team will be able to concentrate on their Premier League achievements.

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Martin Odegaard acknowledges that Arsenal’s offensive play in a 3-1 loss to Manchester City “wasn’t good enough,” and they also made mistakes defensively.

The Gunners knew that a win of any type would be sufficient to retain them at the top of the standings going into a big match against the defending Premier League champions at Emirates Stadium.

However, Mikel Arteta’s team would put up a fragmented performance against the Blues, with Eddie Nketiah missing a few great chances that might have drastically changed the game’s outcome and Takehiro Tomiyasu having a forgettable evening in goal.

Gunners captain Odegaard told the club’s official website on the back of a demoralising setback for title hopefuls: “It was a good game [between] two good teams, an unbelievable atmosphere. It was nice to play in, but it was of course a frustrating result.

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I think we did a lot of good things but in front of goal, we weren’t good enough. That’s frustrating but at the same time, we did a lot of good things, so we have to take those.

“I think everyone had a feeling that we were doing well [at half-time], that we had a lot of space to play [in]. We needed a few adjustments to improve a few things. In general, I thought the game we played was pretty okay, but in front of goal it wasn’t good enough.

Thank you so much to everyone who came and for everything they did to help us today. We’ll work very hard to give them something to hopefully be happy about on Saturday.”

Due to their defeat against City, Arsenal has dropped to second place in the Premier League, although they still have a game in hand and are only behind Pep Guardiola’s team on goal differential.

On Saturday, Arteta’s club will return to action when they travel to Aston Villa to play a game against former Gunners manager Unai Emery.

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Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that Arsenal’s defensive overconfidence contributed to their loss to Manchester City on Wednesday night in the Premier League.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Magalhaes both missed passes in their own defensive third, and as a result, Arsenal lost to City 3-1. City took advantage of both of these errors to score two of their three goals on the night.

When asked on Prime Video if overplaying in and around their own penalty area cost Arsenal in the top-of-the-table clash, manager Arteta replied:

“In certain areas of the pitch, especially after regaining the ball deep, yes. You don’t play there, you have to play a different game and we didn’t read those situations well enough.”

Arteta bemoaned his team’s lost opportunities throughout the game, particularly in the first period when the Gunners dominated play.

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“We’re disappointed because, in the end, we lost it. And I see we because we lost it,” he said.

“I think it was an incredible battle between two teams and when we had them – and we had them – we just gave them the goals. We absolutely gave them the goals. And against this team they’re going to destroy you [for doing that] and they did.

“On the other hand we had three big, big chances and we didn’t put them away and that was the difference.

“To beat them we have to be above our level because they are such a good team who have the quality that they have. We absolutely matched them and we had them in big moments but the games are defined with individual moments, especially in the box, and they were better than us there.”

Due to the loss, Arsenal now sits behind Manchester City in the Premier League standings on goal differential. The Gunners will find some comfort in the knowledge that they still have a game left, though.

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Cedric Soares, an Arsenal defender who has had very few playing opportunities at the Emirates, has agreed to join Fulham on loan for the rest of the season.

The 31-year-old has made just two substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season, and he has only made two additional appearances in cup competitions.

Despite his versatility, the Portugal international has struggled to get playing time this year under Mikel Arteta. The right-back by profession can also play left-back and even in the centre of defence.

Marco Silva, the manager of Fulham, previously worked with Soares at Sporting and is eager to do so again at Craven Cottage.

Silva’s side are enjoying a fantastic season after promotion from the Championship, currently seventh in the Premier League and in contention for European football.

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ESPN report that a deal has been agreed for Soares to move across London on a six-month loan with no option or obligation to buy in the summer.

The defender’s Arsenal contract is up in 2024, and his future with the club will be decided after the end of the current season.

According to an ESPN report, Fulham will pay Soares‘ entire salary, which is close to £100,000 a week.

In January 2020, Soares made a temporary loan move to Arsenal from Southampton. He then made the move permanent that summer and made 59 appearances for the team in all competitions.

His opportunities have been more constrained than ever this season due to competition from Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu for the right-back spot and Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko for the left-back spot.

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