Marcelo, two weeks from deadline day and still without a club

Back on 20 May, Marcelo played his last game for Real Madrid, in the 0-0 draw with Betis. Today, almost three months after he bid Madrid farewell, the legendary left-back still hasn’t signed for anyone. He has had offers from Brazil, France and Turkey... but for now the Brazilian remains a free agent without a contract.

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The summer transfer window is now in its final stretch, two weeks away from closing, and with it, Marcelo’s options are waning. Most clubs have now made all of their reinforcements, their squads are complete and the major leagues are underway. For a player with his cache, it was never going to be easy to find a club willing to accept all of his conditions. At Real Madrid, Marcelo was earning close to eight million euros per season. Even if he accepted a sensible cut, his a salary would still be beyond the means of most of the clubs who are still looking for a left-back - especially in Spain. That applies to the likes of Valladolid, owned by his close friend and former team mate Ronaldo, who are having problems paying salaries and are unable to take on sizable contracts.

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At 34, Marcelo would not rule out retiring. After sixteen years in Madrid, he and his family have put down roots. They are happy and settled in the capital. He has launched his own representation agency and besides, his son is making his way up through Madrid’s youth teams. Enzo who, unlike his father, is a striker, is about to turn 13 and if everything goes to plan, will play for the Under-14s this season. Many of Marcelo’s recent public appearances have been watching his son taking part in summer tournaments and friendlies.

However, he still has plenty of time to decide - even if the transfer window in the main leagues closes on 31 August. Because he is a free agent, he is entitled to be registered by any club after that deadline - any club that has the funds to add to their squad.