5 former Man City players we can’t believe are currently free agents
Manchester City have a ton of former players at other clubs, but there are more than a few surprising names that are surprisingly unattached despite having not yet retired.
Of course, players like Fernandinho and Edin Dzeko are still active but we wanted to dig a little deeper and find those whose current unemployment has raised an eyebrow or two.
We’ve picked out five former City players that we can’t believe are currently without a club.
Wilfried Bony
One of the biggest flops of the Abu Dhabi era, Bony was never able to replicate the form he showed at Swansea that made City pay £28million for his services in 2015.
After just 10 goals in 48 appearances, the majority from the bench or in cup competitions, the former Ivory Coast international was loaned to Stoke before City cut their losses and sanctioned his return to Swansea.
Now 35, Bony has played in Saudi Arabia (before it was cool), the Netherlands and Bolivia for the brilliantly named Always Ready. He is currently looking for his next club.
Wilfried Bony – NEC Nijmegen to Club Always Ready (Bolivia) (2023) pic.twitter.com/LzhHFHYBQB
— Transfersthathappened (@actualtransfers) June 15, 2023
Gai Assulin
After coming through the ranks at Barcelona and finding himself compared to Lionel Messi, Assulin signed for Manchester City in 2010 on the advice of Yaya Toure.
But he would make no first-team appearances at the club before heading back to Spain two years later to join Racing Santander.
Assulin was signed by Kazakhstani club FC Kairat in February 2018 but had his contract terminated by mutual consent just six weeks later, eventually joining Politehnica Iasi in Romania in September 2019.
In 2021, he moved to Crema in Italy’s Serie D but left the club at the end of the season and, after a short spell with Serie D side Unipomezia Virtus, is currently unattached.
Gunnar Nielsen
Nielsen made just one appearance for City, replacing the injured Shay Given in a goalless draw at Arsenal in April 2010.
He’s largely played out his career in colder climes since leaving the Etihad in 2013, with spells in Scotland, Denmark and Iceland.
The former Faroe Islands international left Icelandic club FH over the summer and is currently without a club at the age of 37.
Daniel Sturridge
Granted, it’s not terribly surprising that Sturridge is currently without a club; the striker hasn’t played since leaving Perth Glory in 2022 and seems focused on his blossoming media career.
But it’s still a shame. Only 34, Sturridge could feasibly be playing in the Football League instead of serenading Roy Keane with Usher songs.
He remains an incredibly underrated player at his peak…
READ: A tribute to Daniel Sturridge, an underrated Premier League legend
Emyr Huws
Huws came through the youth systems of Swansea City and Manchester City before turning professional with the latter.
He never played for City, but has enjoyed a solid career in the Football League and made 11 appearances for Wales. His most recent employment came at Colchester United, scoring once in 12 appearances in 2022-23.
The midfielder is still just 30 and would surely represent solid business for any League Two or National League club.
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