Every summer, the free agent market is full of names you recognise, half of which you assumed had already retired. But instead of leaving them to drift off to Turkey or MLS, we’ve built a free agent XI that could (maybe?) scrap its way to Premier League survival.
The aim isn’t to make a title-winning side or even one that plays attractive football. This is about survival: bruising 1-0 wins, time-wasting, and the odd late-season smash-and-grab to hit the magic 35 points.
We’ve gone with a 3-5-2 system, packing the middle, squeezing the pitch, and hoping the front two stumble into enough goals to keep us up.
GK: Lukasz Fabianski
Fabianski is exactly the sort of veteran keeper you want in a survival XI. Experienced, calm under pressure, and still capable of those reflex saves that buy you points.
He spent seven years at West Ham, racking up over 200 appearances after spells at Arsenal and Swansea. Hammer of the Year in 2018–19, he became one of the Premier League’s most reliable shot-stoppers.
At 40, he’s closer to his testimonial than his prime, but his professionalism and penalty-saving record mean he’d still pull off the odd heroic display.
RCB: Takehiro Tomiyasu
Tomiyasu slots into the right side of our back three, offering the composure and versatility needed in a relegation scrap. Comfortable at full-back or centre-back, he brings balance and intelligence to the defence.
The Japan international joined Arsenal in 2021 from Bologna and quickly became a fan favourite, winning Player of the Month in his first weeks.
Injuries repeatedly disrupted his progress, and by July 2025, his deal was terminated.
Still only 26, Tomiyasu has time to rebuild. If he can stay fit, he’s the type to shut down wide threats and keep things simple under pressure.
CB: Jason Denayer
With Kurt Zouma now off the market, Denayer steps in to anchor the back three. He offers mobility to cover, and his passing range gives us a way to move the ball forward.
He built his reputation with Celtic and Lyon, winning trophies and even reaching a Champions League quarter-final. Premier League fans will mostly remember his struggles at Sunderland.
Since then, it’s been a world tour of Dubai and Saudi Arabia. At 30, he could be a clever rescue job — or an unmitigated disaster.
LCB: Samuel Umtiti
Every survival defence needs a left-footed option, and Umtiti is ours. He brings balance to the left of a back three.
A €25m signing for Barcelona in 2016, he won La Liga titles, played in the PSG comeback and lifted the World Cup with France. More recently, he helped Lecce to safety.
The problem is obvious. Years of knee trouble leave him on the brink of retirement, and this could collapse by Christmas. If he stays fit, we look clever. If not, we are back on the market.
RWB: Rick Karsdorp
Karsdorp takes the right wing-back slot in our free agent XI, giving us an outlet who can defend, bomb forward and deliver a cross when required.
He left Roma in 2024 after a mixed spell that included injuries, flashes of quality and even a public fallout with Jose Mourinho.
The injuries are a constant worry, but when fit, Karsdorp offers balance and experience in a key area. If nothing else, he’ll give us the occasional assist before breaking down again.
CDM: Jairo Riedewald
Riedewald anchors our free agent XI, sitting in front of the back three and trying to keep things steady. It’s very much the best of a bad bunch territory.
He broke through at Ajax as their youngest scoring debutant and later played seven years with Crystal Palace. More recently, he joined Royal Antwerp after his Premier League contract expired.
The worry is obvious. Good midfields will stroll through him, but with no other options, we just have to hope he clogs space and makes a few tackles.
CM: Josh Brownhill
Brownhill gives this XI its engine. He’ll run, press, tackle, and generally make a nuisance of himself in the middle, the sort of player every survival side leans on.
He signed for Burnley in 2020, becoming captain and eventually leading them back to the Premier League in 2025 with 18 goals from midfield.
At 29, he should be in his prime. Reliable, consistent, and hard-working, Brownhill brings fight and discipline.
Reportedly on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia, Brownhill is free at the time of writing and gets into our XI thanks to this glorious technicality.
CM: Christian Eriksen
Eriksen is the creative spark in this XI, tasked with finding our strikers before they give the ball away. His passing range and set-pieces keep him valuable.
He rebuilt his career at Brentford after the cardiac arrest, then made close to 100 appearances for Manchester United. Earlier silverware with Inter and a Champions League final.
The legs have slowed at 33, but he still created 2.6 chances per 90 last season. In a team built to suffer, he adds a little class.
QUIZ: Can you name the 30 players with the most assists in Premier League history?
LWB: Sergio Reguilon
Reguilon fills the left wing-back slot, offering pace and energy down the flank. He can defend well enough to survive and still get forward to whip in a cross.
He joined Tottenham from Real Madrid in 2020 for £27.5m and played over 60 league games. Since then, he has been on loan at Atletico Madrid, Man Utd and Brentford before Spurs finally released him in 2025.
At 28, Reguilon should still be in his prime, but game time has been scarce. If he gets fit and finds rhythm, he can be a smart pick-up.
ST: Emmanuel Dennis
Dennis adds pace and unpredictability to this XI. He’ll run the channels, hassle defenders and make sure opponents never settle at the back.
His best spell came at Watford in 2021–22, when he scored 10 Premier League goals. Since then, he has bounced between Forest, Turkey, and the Championship.
Consistency is the worry, but he can still change a game with one burst of speed or moment of chaos. In a survival fight, that might be enough.
ST: Patrick Bamford
Bamford is the free agent XI target man, leading the line next to Dennis. He’ll press and give defenders a rough afternoon, provided his hamstrings don’t ping in the warm-up.
The high point of his career came in lockdown, when he scored 17 Premier League goals and briefly morphed into prime Harry Kane. Since then, it has been injuries and inconsistency.
This is a gamble, but it’s our fantasy world. In this version of reality, Bamford never stops running, never limps off, and keeps us in the division.
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