Daniel Sturridge will be blocked from joining a Premier League side before the end of the season, despite becoming a free agent by terminating his Trabzonspor contract.
The former Liverpool striker's deal was cancelled by mutual consent on Monday after just seven months at the Senol Gunes Stadium.
Sturridge has been tipped to make an immediate return to the English top flight, but Premier League rules bar him from joining a club this side of the summer transfer window.
That is because a player must have left his previous team before the most recent window shut in order to sign for a new side.
Aston Villa are expected to make a move for the 26-cap England international, while Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United may also be in the market for a new striker ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
