The transfer window may be shut, but a certain Portugal international is out of contract and still up for grabs
Goncalo Guedes to Valencia, Andre Silva to Sevilla, Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio to Wolves - Ronaldo to Juventus. It's been a very busy transfer window, especially if you're Portuguese. In fact, no fewer than 11 of Portugal's 23 man squad for the World Cup are playing for a different clubs now than they did before the tournament began. But one former Portugal international, now 32, is also looking for a new side to rejuvenate his career...
Capped 56 times for Portugal, Miguel Veloso is a proven and accomplished central midfielder, having represented Portugal at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, as well as at the Euros in 2012, where he helped Portugal reach the semi-final, only to be knocked out by eventual champions Spain on penalties. Tenacious, composed on the ball and a good reader of the game, Veloso still has a lot to offer even the very best of clubs.
The defensive midfielder - who is also perfectly adept at being utilised in the left-back position - most recently played for Genoa in Italy's top flight, last season playing 22 of their Serie A games as they secured a 12th place finish in the league. The season before that he was also something of a regular, featuring in 23 Serie A games, a starter in the vast majority. The only reason he didn't play more in either season, in fact, was due to injury, which sidelined him for a significant spell in each of the last two campaigns.
Now currently injury free, however, Veloso, a Gestifute client, is ready to embark upon a new chapter in his footballing career, but his next destination remains unclear. The former Benfica academy product, who joined rivals Sporting when just 14 years of age in 2000 - who he went on to play for 156 times across all competitions - had been tentatively linked with moves to both Everton and Wolves - managed by Portuguese coaches Marco Silva and Nuno Espirito Santo respectively - last month, although Marco Silva denied being in the market for any free agents, while links to Wolves also appear to be wide of the mark.
Another more recent club linked with the former Portugal international is West Ham, who have started the season in an abysmal vein of form, having failed to pick up a single point from their first four Premier League matches. The London club, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, may therefore be well served to recruit an experienced face to help shore up their backline and add some much-needed calmness to a dressing room that could be agitated after such a poor start to the campaign.
A return to Sporting, however, is also most certainly still potentially on the cards, with cover in the defensive midfield position - especially since William Carvalho left the club for Real Betis last summer - something Sporting will be happy to obtain, while his versatility to also cover the left-back position makes him an ideal player to have in the squad. Coentrao, however, was another player linked with a return to Sporting this summer, but ended up signing for boyhood club Rio Ave after an approach from Sporting never came to fruition. Having seen the likes of Coentrao and Jackson Martinez - who joined Portimonense on the last day of the transfer window - move to Portuguese sides outside the Big Four, the same thing could also happen with Veloso.
Despite the window being shut, free agents are still able to be acquired, and therefore hope is not all lost that Veloso, who also represented Dynamo Kiev for four years, will soon be making a return to the football pitch for the upcoming season. His next club, however, is far more unpredictable.
