World Cup winner Steven Nzonzi has been searching for a new club this summer and he’s landed a deal 3,000 miles away from Stoke City.
Good luck to Stoke City old boy Steven Nzonzi as he lands a new club as a free agent.
The midfielder, now aged 35, has been unveiled by Iran title chasers Sepahan and will play in the Asian Champions League this season. It is the 10th club of a career that has seen him play in seven different countries.
He had been linked with a move back to hometown Paris. The French press were suggesting last month that he could be tempted to join Red Star in Ligue 2.
But he has passed a medical and received the green light to instead switch to Iran. “He has signed his contract with the club and officially been dressed in gold,” said a statement from the club, referring to their kit although, if it was a metaphor, the contract wouldn’t probably exactly fit in with Championship Financial Fair Play rules.
The 2018 World Cup winner was available on a free transfer after leaving Turkish side Konyaspor.
He is one of three players from his last game for Stoke – a 6-1 thrashing of Liverpool – to be looking for a new club as a free agent this summer. Asmir Begovic has left Queens Park Rangers and Erik Pieters has left West Bromwich Albion.
Geoff Cameron, Ryan Shawcross, Glenn Whelan, Jon Walters and Charlie Adam, from that side in May 2015, have retired while Marc Muniesa plays in Qatar, Marko Arnautovic is at Inter Milan and Mame DIouf is with Goztepe in Turkey.