- Ask Steven
When the transfer window is anything but
I was wondering if there are ever any free agents who have been signed up by top-tier teams after the transfer window has closed. If not, why? asked RJ
There have been. Indeed, there tend to be some after the end of every window. Providing they were unattached, they can feature for their new club straight away (in the context of players over 21 who join Premier League clubs, they are only eligible providing their new employer had not filled up the 25 places in the squad they have submitted to the authorities).
Indeed, since RJ sent in the question and after the window closed on September 2, West Ham have signed free agent Mladen Petric, who is available straight away. In previous years, there have also been several examples of players joining after the transfer window had shut; for instance, Mahamadou Diarra went to Fulham in February 2012 and Giorgos Karagounis followed him to Craven Cottage last September. Dwight Tiendalli also joined Swansea that month.
The king of the October move, meanwhile, may be James McFadden, who went to Everton in October 2011 and Sunderland 12 months later. Some moves outside the window can be answers to shortages within the squad -- for example, Newcastle, having sold Andy Carroll on January 31, 2011, signed the out-of-contract Shefki Kuqi 13 days later -- and many involve back-up goalkeepers, like Andy Marshall joining Aston Villa or Marcus Hahnemann going to Everton.
It is one sign David Moyes -- who has also signed McFadden and Thomas Hitzlsperger outside the window -- was no stranger to such deals (although, having named 25 players in Manchester United's squad, he can't bring in anyone now and pick them straight away).
The most high-profile signings outside the window tend to involve veterans: Robert Pires went to Aston Villa in November 2010 and Michael Owen signed for Stoke last September. Among elite clubs, however, the most notable deal was the short-term contract Jens Lehmann signed at Arsenal in March 2011. Because other goalkeepers were injured, he made one first-team appearance, in a victory at Blackpool.
Ask Steven features a number of experts, headed by Steven Lynch, who answer your questions across a variety of sports. Richard Jolly's Ask ESPNFC column appears fortnightly on ESPNFC
