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What do you get in football for nothing these days?

Actually it can be quite a lot. Clubs often get more for a transfer fee of zilch than for ï¿½10m.

The Bosman rule has been about since 1995 and yet clubs still allow good players to run down their contracts.

Even more astonishing is the number of managers who don’t scroll the list of European free transfers for the bargains that are there during the summer window.

Which brings us to Newcastle United. A fortune does not have to be spent this summer to improve the current first-team squad.

The club, however, does need to spend wisely, and that doesn’t have to mean forking out on actual transfers fees.

There are some seriously good players in the Premier League, and throughout the best European leagues, who will be available on June 1.

A few will have already done a deal on the QT, but many internationals with Champions League experience are just asking to be made an offer.

Given the nature of a Bosman, some will be past their peak years, but this type of player shouldn’t be immediately dismissed, even if there is in all likelihood no chance of recouping any money.

Alan Pardew has said more than once in recent weeks, particularly in the wake of THAT Liverpool game, he needs more players with experience of top league football in his side.

Would any Newcastle fan turn their noses up at the soon-to-be 35-year-old Frank Lampard?

OK, that won’t happen, but if he does leave Chelsea then his new employers have a top-class player who can still cut it, and will cost ï¿½7m less than Xisco.

A quick scout among Newcastle fans of who has been the club’s best Bosmans in recent years threw up Demba Ba, obviously, and Peter Lovenkrands, who did so well in the Championship season.

So the club have had some joy in this department before.

Here we take a look at some of the best players around Europe available for nothing. Well, nothing apart from the signing-on fee, wages, image rights and the fee that goes to the agent.

Kolo Toure (Manchester City)

If Fabricio Coloccini does leave then why not get the vastly experienced Ivorian as a replacement at the heart of the defence?

“My first choice is this country, as I like English football - that is why I began playing football,” he said last month when speaking of leaving City.

Newcastle would do a lot worse than getting Toure senior in for a few seasons.

Anatoliy Tymoschchuk (Bayern Munich)

The Ukraine captain is 34 but played 23 games for Bayern Munich this season and will be in the Champions League final squad.

The guy oozes class. He can sit deep and dictate play all day if he wanted, even at his age.

He has won leagues with three clubs in three countries, and has 120 caps. Only once has he panicked when on the ball – he was 14 at the time.

Douglas (FC Twente)

Remember this guy? Newcastle were after the versatile defender in the summer.

He can play at right- back and in the centre - and may well be tempted now, as they can forget about the ï¿½5m his club wanted for him.

Joan Verdu (Espanyol)

Pardew wants to play quick passing football – and the little Spanish midfielder is a gem at doing just that.

Verdu sets up goals and scores them as well, something desperately needed by Newcastle.

He’s 30 so has plenty left in the tank. Swansea want him – which is a good sign!

Fabrizio Miccoli (Palermo)

Over 100 goals in Serie A should make anyone ignore the fact he’s just out of his twenties.

He has played a lot of his football on the left side of a 4-3-3, rather than as an out-and-out striker, which certainly goes in his favour.

Miccoli has been capped 10 times and won’t be well known in the UK, but has 190 goals with the likes of Juventus, Fiorentina and Benfica.

Fernando Amorebieta (Athletic Bilbao)

Now this guy is a player.

The classy centre-half, 28, has admitted recently that he wants to test himself in the Premier league and will leave the Basque country this summer after over 200 appearances for Bilbao.

The Venezuelan has been linked with Arsenal, but don’t let that put you off, given Arsene Wenger’s tendency to weaken his defence every season.

Ciprian Marica (Schalke)

At 27, the Romanian should be approaching his peak years.

He’s not prolific, rather he specialises in the spectacular goals.

However, striker Marica (right) has been a model of consistency in his seven Bundesliga years.

And he is brilliant in the air at 6ft 2in.

Andreas Ivanschitz (Mainz)

A left-footed player and a free-kick specialist. What is not to like about the 29-year-old?

Newcastle don’t have anyone like a player (regrettably called the David Beckham of Austria) as he is a mainly left-footed winger with an eye for goal. Oh, and he’s a part-time model.

Manuel Iturra (Malaga)

Liverpool seem to think they have this guy in the bag, but the Spanish media have reported that a deal is yet to be completed.

The 28-year-old midfielder has been superb in both La Liga and Champions League this season.

He signed a one-year deal with Malaga, hence his contract is about to run out, and scored the only goal of a win over Barcelona in the Nou Camp.

Winston Reid (West Ham)

The New Zealand captain is a brilliant right-back.

Reid was outstanding in the 0-0 draw between West Ham and Newcastle United two weeks ago at Upton Park

It does look like Danny Simpson is leaving the Tynesiders and Mathieu Debuchy has still to settle properly.

Reid has hardly missed for the Hammers over the past two seasons.

Rolando Bianchi (Torino)

Don't be put off by his one season in England when he managed just four goals in 19 league appearances while playing for Manchester City.

The 30-year-old is terrific in the lone striker role and has managed almost 100 goals in Serie A, which is a prolific in Italian football.

Michael Owen (Nobody)

Pardew could always tempt him out of retirement….Joke!