Man Utd: 4 former players who are now free agents | OneFootball

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A lot has been made about some of Manchester United's former players and how they've fared at other clubs. Some have been huge successes such as Angel Di Maria at Paris Saint-Germain, while others have had a nightmare like Paul Pogba at Juventus.

There are a select few right now, though, who can't even find a new club and are currently on the sidelines watching football as free agents. Whether they're not happy with the offers they've received so far, or there isn't anyone who actually wants them, these four former Red Devils are all currently without a club.

David de Gea

Easily the most high-profile former United man who currently has no team to call his own, David de Gea has surprisingly been left out in the cold following his departure from Old Trafford in the summer. The Spaniard was a serviceable star for the club for over a decade and actually won the Premier League's Golden Glove award last season with the most clean sheets in the league.

Yet, he has failed to join anyone in the months following his exit, and it's unclear as to why. Surely, someone's got to be interested in the shot-stopper, right? With the amount of big names that made the move to the Saudi Pro League this summer, it's bizarre to see that De Gea wasn't one of them. His lofty wages might be enough to put some teams off, but he's certainly got the talent to contribute to a team at the top of football, so this one is shocking.

Jesse Lingard

After impressing on loan at West Ham United a couple of years ago, it seemed Jesse Lingard's position as a Premier League midfielder was secured for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, things haven't quite panned out that way for the Englishman, and he finds himself without a club now.

A year-long spell at Nottingham Forest didn't quite bear the success that Lingard was likely expecting it too, and he's now left on the side without a team willing to bring him in. Of course, his wages, like De Gea, have been quite lofty, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that no one is prepared to pay what he wants. The longer he's out of the game, though, the more he should start considering lowering his asking price if that's the case.

After all, there's no way that some of the Premier League's lower-half sides wouldn't be willing to take a gamble on Lingard. It's already paid off once before for the Hammers who had several great months with him in the side.

Phil Jones

At one point, it looked like Phil Jones was going to become one of the best English defenders of his generation and maybe of all time. The former Blackburn Rovers centre-back burst onto the scene at Ewood Park and many thought he'd rule the Premier League for years to come. It didn't quite pan out that way, though, and through a combination of injuries and poor form, he fell out of favour at Old Trafford.

Over the last few years of his tenure at the Red Devils, Jones barely made any appearances whatsoever and spent more time on the sidelines watching on than he did on the pitch. Still, the expectation when he was let go by the club was that he'd find a suitor and maybe get another crack at his Premier League career.

It's not worked out like that, though, and Jones remains without a club months after leaving Old Trafford. Whether it's the injury risks he presents or lofty wages is unclear, but the Englishman hasn't found another club to call home following his departure. It seems he might even be considering calling time on his playing career as well, having recently announced his intention to study for his coaching badges in the near future.

Josh Harrop

After scoring on his Premier League debut for United during the 2016/17 season, big things were expected for Josh Harrop, and it's safe to say he hasn't lived up to them. Despite getting off to a bright start and scoring in his first appearance for the Red Devils, it would also be the Englishman's last appearance for the side.

He was never selected for the first team again and one year later, he joined Preston North End in the Championship. Things got off to a promising start for him in the second tier too, with 39 appearances and four goals in his first campaign in Lancashire. After another strong year during the 2019/20 season where he scored eight goals in 36 games, he was surprisingly loaned out the following summer to Ipswich Town in League One and then again one year later to Fleetwood Town.

Neither spell really delivered anything special, though, and Harrop was let go by Preston in 2022. A very brief spell with Northampton Town offered him another chance last winter, but things didn't go to plan, and he remains without a team now. Considering how his career started, it's brutal to see him out of action at just 27 years old, and hopefully, he'll find someone to take him on sooner rather than later.