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Bacary Sagna’s situation since leaving Manchester City has been a strange one. Linked to clubs including Leicester, West Ham, Crystal Palace and West Brom, the Frenchman ended the last summer transfer window without a side.

It was assumed that he’d find one pretty quickly, a fit and experienced fullback available for free outside the window is an opportunity which would have been attractive to many, but nothing happened.

Rumours came and went and Sagna posted repeated social media images showing he was training alone, but it didn’t lead to a club.

Then the January transfer window opened and still no club appeared, that all came and went and on February 3rd Sagna signed for Benevento, firmly stuck at the bottom of Serie A.

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The former Arsenal player has been speaking to L’Equipe and stated he was close to Crystal Palace and West Ham during the last summer window.

Linked to several of the same players during recent windows, the two clubs then walked away from a Sagna deal, something he’s presented as strange: “I had been in contact with West Ham and Crystal Palace since March 2017. In my mind, I wanted to go home, to London, good for the family side. Overnight, they cut off the contacts, without explanation.”

Sagna has said similar about other clubs, and whilst he insists there’s never been big demands on his personal terms, it wouldn’t be too hard to think that’s why he struggled to find a club.

Both Crystal Palace and West Ham could pay more than Benevento, but perhaps Sagna has now dropped his demands somewhat.