Free agent (football)

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A Free agent is a term used in association football to refer to a player that has been released by a club (usually on a free transfer) and now is no longer affiliated with any team, but has not finished his or her career.

Olivier Bernard is a well known example of a free agent. He has been without a club since he was released on 16 May 2007 by Newcastle United after his infamous second spell at the club.

Free agents do not have to be signed during the normal transfer window that is implemented in some countries' leagues. If they are signed by a team, the team signing them does not have to pay any fees - sometimes this is colloquially known as "snapped up on a free transfer".