The transfer window is not for the faint-hearted these days, but these 11 players will cost you precisely nothing this summer

Though players such as Radamel Falcao and Luis Suárez promise to hog the summer transfer headlines, far away from the trade in £60m strikers to newly promoted oligarch-funded Francophone tax-havens exists a quieter, calmer but scarcely less important market, in which bargain-bucket players exchange employers without any transfer fee at all.

Some have chosen to let their contracts run out, others simply haven't been offered a new one, and between the two camps there are plenty of decent footballers who find themselves available utterly free and gratis to any enterprising manager. So here's an English freebie XI that, if any penny-pinching chairman is inclined to assemble it, might have a chance of survival in the Premier League.

Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski, Arsenal, 28

Another season of frustration for the Pole, who a full year ago announced to a Polish journalist that he "hoped my adventure with Arsenal is over" and this summer will get his wish. He made four league appearances last season, and with Arsène Wenger apparently in the market for a new goalkeeper a new employer needs to be found sharpish. Also available: Ross Turnbull, who has been released by Chelsea, and one-time future of the England No1 jersey, Lee Camp.

Right-back: Ryan Shotton, Stoke City, 24

With Mark Hughes promising to bring a new brand of free-flowing football to the Britannia Stadium it may be time for Shotton to take his long throws and curious under-shirt ball-drying contraptions elsewhere. Danny Simpson is also available, preparing for a divorce from Newcastle having also recently split from his tabloid-friendly squeeze Tulisa.

Centre-back: Kolo Touré, Manchester City, 32

Widely expected to sign for Liverpool, where he will fill Jamie Carragher's shoes as not-that-tall, not-that-fast, not-that-young, still-quite-useful centre-back.

Centre-back: Matthew Kilgallon, Sunderland, 29

Coming out just ahead of Titus Bramble to be the top central defender released by Sunderland this season. Will be a useful acquisition for any side hoping to just scrape survival in the Premier League, or promotion to it.

Left-back: Maynor Figueroa, Wigan, 30

Author of the in-his-own-half free-kick against Stoke in 2009 that must be one of the Premier League's most memorable goals. Worth signing simply in case he does that again.

Right midfield: Jermaine Pennant, Stoke, 30

Seven years ago he was worth £6.7m of Liverpool's money, and Stoke spent £1.7m on him back in 2011, but he seldom played and frequently rowed with Tony Pulis. Now he's considered likely to go to Toronto, or somewhere else on the other side of the Atlantic.

Central midfield: Emmanuel Frimpong, Arsenal, 21

An inconveniently timed knee injury will see Frimpong spend his summer convalescing, rather than impressing potential new employers. Though young enough to command a transfer fee even at the end of his contract, Arsenal were expected to release him for nothing this summer and Fulham, where he spent the second half of last season, were expected to be first in the queue for his services.

Central midfield: Gary O'Neil, West Ham United, 30

No word of a contract extension yet from West Ham, for whom O'Neil became something of a midfield stalwart in the second half of the season. With 20 starts in all competitions, 17 of them in the Premier League for a team that finished in the top half of the table, there should be no shortage of suitors if he does leave Upton Park, and it may be to his advantage that he's clearly happy to accept a non-playing role – he summed up his time at West Ham thus: "I've enjoyed being around the squad, even when I haven't played."

Left midfield: Florent Malouda, Chelsea, 32

After spending a season training with Chelsea's youth team, Malouda says he "cannot wait" to tie his laces in anger once again. "I'm free," he said recently. "I'm going to be able to play again next season and I cannot wait. I've been preparing all year long." Surely worth a punt if he can prove his commitment to more than his salary. A hotly contested position, this, with Andrey Arshavin, West Brom's Jerome Thomas and Wolves' Stephen Hunt also vying for the jersey. Elsewhere in Europe, Ryan Babel's free…

Striker: Carlton Cole, West Ham, 29

Seven years at West Ham, seven caps for England, no transfer fee. Various Premier League strugglers-in-waiting are thought to be vying for his services, though he may prefer a couple of years in the MLS.

Striker: Mladen Petric, Fulham, 32

A return to Germany awaits for the far-from-prolific Croat, whose form in pre-season and two-goal opening-day haul against Norwich had the Craven Cottage faithful positively foaming with excitement. He scored just three more goals all season, all of them consolations in defeats. Also available: Wolves' 27-year-old Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, whose 14 league goals last season was a decent haul in such a misfiring side.