Free Transfer XI: Ronaldinho, Kevin Nolan, Emmanuel Adebayor available in January
Friday 1 January 2016 19:31, UK
Premier League clubs spent £1bn on new signings in 2015 - but there are a number of familiar faces available on free transfers in the January transfer window.
Former Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldinho, ex-Arsenal and Real Madrid attacker Julio Baptista and one-time Chelsea full-back Jose Bosingwa are on the lookout for new clubs - but will any Premier League clubs take a chance on them?
Here, we compile an XI of players available on a free transfer in the January transfer window. Which ones would you like to see YOUR club sign?
Brad Jones
The Australian goalkeeper was released by Liverpool in June and had cancelled a subsequent contract with Bradford City by mutual consent. Jones made just 11 appearances in the Premier League during his five years at Anfield and the shot-stopper, who began his career at Middlesbrough, is now searching for a new club.
Emmanuel Eboue
The Ivorian is set to leave Turkish giants Galatasaray in January with Premier League joint-leaders Leicester reported to be in the hunt for the defender by The Sunday People.
Eboue, 32, made 214 appearances for Arsenal between 2004 and 2011 before moving overseas. He is understood to be keen on a return to England.
Jose Bosingwa
The former Porto, Chelsea and QPR player moved to Turkish club Trabzonspor in the summer of 2013. He made 33 appearances for them last season but has fallen out of favour with head coach Sadi Tekelioglu. Portuguese defender Bosingwa was signed for £16.2m by Chelsea in 2008 and won a Champions League medal with the west Londoners in 2012 before leaving for QPR.
Joseph Yobo
The former Everton defender is hoping to find a route back into top-level action. Yobo, 34, left Turkish side Fenerbahce in August 2014 after his contract was ended by mutual consent and then spent six months on loan at Norwich City where he made just eight appearances.
Jermaine Pennant
Pennant, who enjoyed a brief stint at Wigan, was on trial at Championship side Charlton Athletic at the start of the season, but is still searching for a new club.
The former England U21 midfielder, 32, struggled to break through at Arsenal as a youngster, played with an electronic tag on at Birmingham and also featured in the 2007 Champions League final with Liverpool. He also had a brief stint at Spanish club Real Zaragoza and in the Indian Super League.
Kevin Nolan
The 33-year-old left West Ham - where he was club captain - after falling out of favour with new head coach Slaven Bilic. Former Bolton and Newcastle star Nolan has since been training with League Two side Leyton Orient in a bid to keep fit. Nolan spent four years at Upton Park in which he played a key role in a third career promotion from the Championship and has been linked with a move to Sunderland.
"I've been very encouraged and humbled with the amount of people who've wanted to speak to me in the last couple of weeks,' he told Goals on Sunday. "But it's a major decision and I've got my kids and the family (to consider), so we're going to have to sit down and see what's best.
"I'm going into coaching in the next couple of years, so it could be a move abroad to broaden my knowledge of the game."
Kevin-Prince Boateng
The 28-year-old German is currently contracted to Schalke until the end of the season but has been told by the club's director of sport Horst Heldt that he has no future with them. Midfielder Boateng, who has not kicked a ball in anger this season, has been given permission to train with AC Milan for the rest of the year and is ready to discuss re-joining his former club, although he is required to take a wage cut.
Morgan Amalfitano
Amalfitano departed West Ham after falling out with Bilic in October. The 30-year-old midfielder moved to Upton Park in the summer of 2014 following a season on loan at West Brom and made 32 appearances for the club, scoring three goals. However, the former Marseille man failed to make a Premier League appearance under Bilic and was punished for a 'breach of club discipline' in August.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho, 35, still remains without a club after leaving Fluminense in September. The former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan star is renowned for his technique, tricks and dribbling and is also a 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil.
Julio Baptista
Nicknamed 'The Beast', Baptista is currently without a club since leaving Cruzeiro in the close season. The 34-year-old is understood to be looking to return to Europe having previously played for Real Madrid, Arsenal and Roma. He had his greatest personal success at Sevilla, where he scored an impressive 50 goals from 2003 to 2005.
Emmanuel Adebayor
The Togo striker left Tottenham in September after falling out of favour with manager Mauricio Pochettino and is hoping to relaunch his career back in the Premier League. Adebayor, 31, came close to joining Aston Villa in the summer transfer window but opted against a move to the Midlands.
