Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian have been without a team since June 30, when their contracts with Inter expired. For the center-back, 38 years old, the Atalanta option was ruled out by the Bergamo club, according to Il Giorno, after Al-Hilal, Genoa, Monza, Torino, Sassuolo, and Lazio. Darmian had contacts with Roma, but nothing came of it.
Free to sign even after the transfer window closes
From September 1, those who were already out of contract can sign at any time, and the two are training on their own while waiting for a call. The teams that sought them in the summer wanted experience at zero cost, with a deal until June and a reduced salary compared to their last wage at Inter. Even Atalanta, despite a defensive emergency, preferred not to sign a free agent and wait for players to return.
After September 26, the options that did not materialize could reopen with autumn injuries, when long squads get shorter. For Darmian, 36 years old, his adaptable wide player profile finds a place more easily in a mid-table squad. For Acerbi, who has been out since the end of last season, clubs want to see his condition first.
What those who remain inactive lose
Acerbi has no intention of retiring, wrote Il Giorno. When inactive, a player loses their salary and personal sponsors, as brands sign with those who play on Sundays.
Cristiano Ronaldo became an ambassador for PokerStars in May 2015 while playing for Real Madrid, a few weeks after Neymar, then at Barcelona, and Ibrahimović joined the bookmaker Bethard as a partner while playing for Milan, receiving a €50,000 UEFA fine in 2021. In Italy, that market has not existed since 2019, and without faces in campaigns, operators compete on the product, the same criteria used by guides to explain how to choose online slot sites, from the catalog to the quality of the app. The Phenomenon signed with the same brand only as a former Inter player, between 2014 and 2016, at a much lower value.
The next window is January
The regular transfer window reopens in January 2027. Until then, Acerbi and Darmian can only count on teams in emergency situations, who call after an injury and ask them to be ready in a few days.
Acerbi left Inter after four seasons and 148 appearances, with two league titles and the 2023 Champions League final played as a starter. Darmian arrived in October 2020 and finished with 218 appearances and three league titles, often as a utility player on both flanks. These are resumes that in June seemed to guarantee a quick call, but at the end of September are still not enough.
