KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, and Jamie Vardy are among the big names left without clubs after the European transfer window closed, but a UAE Second Division side believes they need not spend the next few months watching from the sidelines.
Dubai-based Arabian Falcons have offered free agents the chance to train and play with the club while they wait for their next move, with manager and former Premier League midfielder Jonjo Shelvey leading the invitation.
The Premier League window closed on September 1 after another record-breaking summer of spending, leaving a number of established names still searching for clubs. Pogba, Benzema, Sancho, Sterling and Vardy are among the most recognisable players currently available as free agents.
For Arabian Falcons, the proposal is straightforward – players can train with the squad, gain competitive match fitness and play games while remaining available to move elsewhere when an opportunity arises.
“Don’t sit on the sidelines. Come and show what you’ve got over in Dubai. We're building something real out here, and we want more big names alongside us as we do it. If you've got the quality and you're ready to work, there's a place for you at this club,” Shelvey said.
Shelvey’s suggestion comes with authority as the former Newcastle United and Liverpool midfielder himself took the plunge and played with the Falcons before being moved up as an assistant manager and then another upgrade as the head coach. The Falcons set-up also includes ex-Premier League players Jason Puncheon and Ravel Morrison, the club captain.
“We've seen ex-Premier League players go months without a club and lose all their sharpness. There's no reason for that to happen. Come to Dubai, train with us every single day, get proper minutes, and be ready the second the phone rings,” Puncheon said.
Morrison added: “I've played all over the world, and nowhere sets you up better than this. Come and train, come and play, and show the world what you have to offer.”
The club says its arrangement is not intended to tie players down to long-term contracts. Instead, free agents would be able to train regularly and play competitive football before leaving if they secure a new deal elsewhere.
Harry Agombar, the club's sporting director, said: “We can get any free agent playing minutes and back to full condition with proper support around them – medical, conditioning, matchday exposure, all of it. If you're out of contract and want to stay ready, this is the environment to do that in.”
The offer comes as Arabian Falcons begin a new season under Shelvey with promotion ambitions. The club has also launched an academy as part of a wider restructuring.
Players such as Pogba, Benzema, and Sterling are no strangers to the UAE, having come as tourists during the off-season or as part of the training camps with the clubs who use the Dubai winter weather for tune-ups during breaks.