The summer transfer window closed on September 1, but the market for out-of-contract players never really shuts.
Free agents can sign for a new club at any time, regardless of whether the window is open, because they have no existing contract tying them to a team.
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This loophole has produced late, unexpected moves for years.
Clubs use it to fill gaps left by injuries, departures, or budget constraints once the frantic window business is done.
It also gives senior, well-travelled players a way back into professional football after they have been released or have run down their deals elsewhere.
Age is rarely a barrier when a player still has experience to offer.
One of those players has just found a new home, seven years after he was a regular fixture at Anfield.
RCD Mallorca have officially announced the signing of Alberto Moreno on a free transfer, according to the club’s official website.
The 34-year-old left-back arrives after leaving Italian side Como 1907, where he spent the last two seasons.
Moreno’s move brings him back to Spain, where he began his career. He was born in Seville and came through Sevilla’s academy, making 62 appearances for the club’s first team.
His performances at Sevilla earned him a move to Liverpool in 2014, in a deal reported at around £12 million.
He spent five seasons on Merseyside, playing 141 games and winning the Champions League in 2019, along with runner-up medals in the Europa League and EFL Cup.
After leaving Liverpool as a free agent in 2019, Moreno joined Villarreal on a five-year contract.
He made 124 appearances for the Yellow Submarine and won a second Europa League title in 2021, adding to the one he had already claimed with Sevilla in 2014.
He then moved to Como in Italy, managed by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, where he played 48 matches.
Moreno has also earned four caps for the Spanish national team.
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