Two Superstar Centre-backs Still Available Outside of the Transfer Window

The summer transfer window slammed shut on September 1st, with a number of transfers going through at the last minute. Chelsea brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Zakaria from Barcelona and Juventus respectively. It remains to be seen whether they have a part to play under new manager Graham Potter however, following the shocking sacking of Thomas Tuchel. Antony finally made his move from Ajax to Manchester United for a whopping £85m. Oddschecker, which compares odds and provides free tips on European football, has made Manchester City the favourites to retain the Premier League title this season, and they brought in Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund to aid their central defensive woes.

And there are plenty more big-name central defenders who are still available despite the closure of the transfer window. Thanks to certain players being released by their former clubs, they are available on free transfers, meaning that they can be signed outside of the transfer window and registered to play. Here are two of Europe’s finest centre-halves that are still available this autumn.

Jason Denayer

27-year-old centre-back Jason Denayer has been available on a free transfer since July 30th when his Lyon contract expired. The decision to release the former Celtic star was a surprising one to say the least. He featured 14 times for the French side last year before an ankle injury curtailed his season. In total, he featured for the 7-time Ligue 1 champions on 139 occasions, including a historic run to the Champions League semifinals back in 2020. He has also featured 35 times for Roberto Martinez’s Belgium and is expected to be included in their squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup.

The former Galatasaray man has a number of potential suitors, with Premier League giants Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers both interested in acquiring his services.

Dan-Axel Zagadou

Another surprising player that was released is former PSG youngster Dan-Axel Zagadou. Borussia Dortmund let the 23-year-old leave Signal Iduna Park during the summer after five years in North-Rhine Westphalia. The Frenchman made 92 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben but was limited to just 15 appearances due to numerous different injuries and illnesses.