Jonjo Shelvey's Dubai side targets Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling as free-agent options dwindle

Jonjo Shelvey has opened the door to Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling at his UAE second-division club, Arabian Falcons, with both players still without clubs after the English transfer window has all but closed. Shelvey, the former Liverpool and Newcastle midfielder, confirmed that several prominent free agents have made contact as their options in Europe narrow.

The Arabian Falcons, based in Dubai and only three years old, play in the second tier of the UAE league. Shelvey is supported by former Crystal Palace and Southampton midfielder Jason Puncheon, who serves as director of football, and the squad already includes ex-Premier League players Danny Simpson and Ravel Morrison.

Speaking on talkSport’s Hawksbee and Jacobs show, Shelvey was candid about the club’s appeal. “There are a couple that have got in touch,” he said. “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.”

He added: “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’s availability marks a dramatic fall for a player who cost Manchester United £72 million five years ago, when Europe’s elite were tracking his performances at Borussia Dortmund. Successive loan spells have failed to revive his form, leaving him without a club heading into the new season.

Sterling’s trajectory has followed a similarly steep decline. After producing the best football of his career under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he moved to Chelsea in 2023 and has struggled to rediscover consistent form. A loan spell at Feyenoord in the Netherlands ended without the Dutch club choosing to retain him, leaving his future equally uncertain.