Jonjo Shelvey has offered surprising lifelines to Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho in Dubai with the duo still without clubs.
The ex-Liverpool and Newcastle midfielder is now in charge of the Arabian Falcons, who have only been in existence for three years. They play in the second tier of the UAE league, but the names involved at the club have given them a notable presence.
Club's notable figures
Shelvey is supported by ex-Crystal Palace and Southampton star Jason Puncheon, who serves as director of football, and the club already boast former Premier League players Danny Simpson and Ravel Morrison.
The Arabian Falcons are seeking to add more star names with talkSport claiming that Sancho and Sterling are on their shortlist, should they want to make the move over to the Gulf state.
Shelvey's comments
Shelvey has revealed that several big name free agents have been in contact, especially now English clubs have all but concluded their recruitment. He told Hawksbee and Jacobs: "There are a couple that have got in touch.
"I don't really deal with that side of it. I am trying to manage the team because I want to get promoted this year. But it is a fantastic opportunity for people if that is what they are looking for at this stage of their career, or if they are struggling to get a club.
"Once the UK window shuts, you are scrambling for clubs, so we put out a call to see if there was anyone who was interested. There are no strings attached to it. They can leave and go to bigger clubs whenever they are ready. But we can offer that Dubai lifestyle, and bigger names are coming out here."
Sancho and Sterling's decline
Sancho has found himself out in the cold, which represents a huge decline for a player who five years ago was costing Manchester United £72million. He had a host of Europe's top clubs eyeing him when he was impressing at Borussia Dortmund, but has never come close to replicating that form.
Successive loan spells away have failed to lead to an upturn in form and he now finds himself looking for a club. Sterling is another English talent who once thrived, but has endured a notable fall from grace.
Under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Sterling played the best football of his career but since moving to Chelsea in 2023 his career has continued to nosedive. His struggles continued in the Netherlands with Feyenoord, who chose not to retain him.
