From Edouard Michut to Jack Rodwell - The ex-Sunderland players who are still free agents

The free agent market is quite often regarded as the proverbial dregs of the transfer barrel. It is a commonly-held consensus that those players without a club by the time the summer window closes are more often than not some way away from being the cream of the crop, but of course, every now and again there are exceptions.

Right now, for instance, the likes of Spanish icon Sergio Ramos, former England international Dele Alli, and ex-Liverpool defender Joel Matip are all without a club, and it was only earlier this week that Sunderland themselves completed a deal to bring Aaron Connolly to the Stadium of Light.

The Republic of Ireland forward had been on the hunt for his next challenge after leaving Hull City a couple of months ago, and the Black Cats have obliged, offering him a one-year contract that - if all goes to plan - could prove to be a savvy way of parachuting in the extra firepower that so many supporters believe they need.

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And with all this talk of free agents, it got us thinking about which former Sunderland players might also be without an employer at the present moment in time. We’ve taken a look at five below...

Edouard Michut

A loanee during that wild run to the play-offs under Tony Mowbray, Michut featured 28 times for Sunderland before returning to parent club Paris Saint-Germain. From there, he ended up in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, but terminated his contract last month following a dispute over unpaid wages. At the time of writing, he remains without a club.

Conor Wickham

Wickham has endured a torrid run of injury misfortune over the course of his career, and as the years have gone by, his inability to remain fit has led to more than one stint without a club. His most recent side was League One outfit Charlton Athletic, but there have also been spells with the likes of MK Dons and Forest Green Rovers of late. In an interview earlier this week, the 31-year-old made it clear that he is very much on the lookout for his next project, and is even open to the prospect of moving abroad.

Jack Rodwell

The man Sunderland fans love to hate. Rodwell has long since been a pantomime villain of sorts on Wearside, but for the past three years he has been Down Under, plying his trade in the Australian top flight. The 33-year-old was on the books at Sydney FC following an initial stint with Western Sydney, but is now a free agent.

Patrick van Aanholt

The flying full-back was a tidy enough player back in the day, and has maintained a decent level since leaving Sunderland in 2017. Four years at Crystal Palace were followed by spells at Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven, with the 34-year-old bidding farewell to his Turkish parent club for good in July. So far, he is yet to find another team.

Ovie Ejaria

At 26, Ejaria should be in the prime of his career. Instead, he has been without a club for the best part of a year having parted company with Reading back in January. His time with the Royals was certainly better than his brief, grim loan on Wearside, but as the weeks and months tick by, his lack of opportunities becomes more and more concerning.