The transfer window closed a few weeks ago now, in preparation for the start of the Premier League, but that doesn’t completely prevent Arsenal making another signing this week.
The FA rules state that as long as a player has been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window, they can be signed by a new club at any time during the season.
Let’s have a look at five players who are therefore available for Arsenal to sign this week, despite the Premier League window closing.
Yaya Toure
- Age: 35
- Position: Central Midfield
- Appearances in 2017/18: 17
Yaya Toure is the obvious inclusion on this list, with his agent admitting he’s just had a medical in London over a move to an English club. There’s no word yet on which club this might be, but it’s always possible Arsenal might have decided to add an extra midfielder to the ranks.
Toure most recently played for Manchester City, but he only made eight starts in the entire campaign. Nonetheless, he could well still add something to whichever club does decide to sign him.
Bakary Sako
- Age: 30
- Position: Left Winger
- Appearances in 2017/18: 19
Sako impressed in patches for Crystal Palace last season, but never really got the run of games he wanted. Thanks to injuries and Roy Hodgson’s team selection, the winger only made seven starts all season. Despite that fact, he scored six goals for the club.
A strong dribbler, Sako could potentially add something Arsenal are missing in the side at the moment. He rejected a new contract with Crystal Palace at the start of the summer, so he’s available as soon as he’s fully fit again.
Claudio Marchisio
- Age: 32
- Position: Central Midfield
- Appearances in 2017/18: 20
Marchisio was a massive part of Juventus’ domestic success over the last decade or so, having spent his entire career at the club, bar a brief spell at Empoli on loan.
Now he’s a free agent, and could certainly bring a lot of experience in midfield to his new team. Arsenal have already signed one former Juventus free agent in Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Unfortunately, the midfielder may be ineligible. Juventus only announced his departure on August 17th, after the Premier League transfer window had already closed. Assuming they didn’t file the paperwork before August 9th, he therefore doesn’t fit the bill for English clubs to bring him in.
Lacina Traore
- Age: 28
- Position: Centre-Forward
- Appearances in 2017/18: 18
Lacina Traore was released by AS Monaco this summer, after spending last season on loan with SC Amiens. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a chance for either club, only making eight starts in all, and providing three assists.
The striker is a giant, standing at around 6ft 8, so he’d certainly provide an alternative option if Arsenal were looking to play crosses into the box in the hope of a late goal. He’d need to find his scoring boots though, as his inconsistent game time and finishing last season meant he never got off the mark in 2017/18.
Balazs Dzsudzsak
- Age: 31
- Position: Left Winger
- Appearances in 2017/18: 24
Why not end the list with a massive wildcard entry? Dzsudzsak was most recently picking up a paycheck in the UAE, where he managed a goal contribution roughly every one-and-a-half games.
The 31-year-old previously played for European clubs like PSV Eindhoven and Dinamo Moscow, and is the captain of Hungary. In Euro 2016 he scored twice against eventual winners Portugal.
Again, he’s a winger, and his biggest strengths are his crossing and ability to create chances for his teammates. Arsenal would almost certainly never go for him, but on the surface those are attributes the team could do with.