Sport
Football’s 11 best free players out of contract this season
The 2019/20 football season is passed the halfway point and players who are out of contract this summer can now be signed for free in the last 6 months of their contract. Let’s have a look at the 11 best free agents whose contracts are expiring this summer.
Goalkeepers – out of contract
Joe Hart – Goalkeeper – Burnley
Not the most valuable goalkeeper who will be out of contract this summer but certainly the one with the biggest name. Former Manchester City and England keeper Joe Hart is out of contract in the summer of 2020.
The goalkeeper’s contract expires on the last day of June 2020, after which he’s going to be a free agent. Joe Hart is currently sitting on the bench at Burnley, having fallen behind Nick Pope in the pecking order.
The winner of 4 Golden Glove awards is certainly leaving the club this summer and rumours are that he has received offers from Beckham’s Inter Miami and Minnesota United. Hence, it is very likely Hart will be moving to the MLS this summer.
Defenders – out of contract
Layvin Kurzawa – Left-Back – PSG
PSG full-back Kurzawa was signed from Monaco for £22.50m in 2015 yet finds himself out of contract this summer.
The Frenchman is 27 years old and interested clubs could still get plenty of years out of him. Kurzawa has played 73 games for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 8 goals in 4 seasons.
In 2017, the left-back became the first defender in modern Champions League history to score a hat-trick, in a match against Anderlecht.
Thomas Meunier – Right-Back – PSG
Another full-back at PSG, but this one plays on the right side. Belgian international Thomas Meunier will also be an out of contract player in 2020.
The Belgian has been linked with a move to Arsenal but is adamant he will not leave the club in January. Meunier has made it clear that he wants to stay in Paris and still hopes to sign a new contract before the summer.
The 28-year old appeared in 12 games for PSG, scoring 1 goal in the Champions League. Could the Belgian be an option for Man United, who are still looking to strengthen their team in the defensive department?
Eric Bailly – Centre-Back – Manchester United
There will several out of contract players at Man United this summer, with Bailly among them. The Ivory Coast international has been fighting for a new contract and it looks like he is winning the battle to convince manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Manchester United are reportedly ready to extend the 25-year old’s contract at Old Trafford.
Jan Vertonghen – Centre-Back – Tottenham
Jose Mourinho wants Jan Vertonghen to follow Toby Alderweireld in signing a new contract at Tottenham.
It looked like Vertonghen was going to leave the club under former boss Mauricio Pochettino but the arrival of Mourinho has changed the landscape. Vertonghen is now 32 years old and will probably have to agree to a lower wage for the coming years.
Will he join his defensive partner Alderweireld and prolong his stay in London? To be continued…
Midfield – out of contract
Nemanja Matic – Defensive Midfield – Manchester United
Another Man United stalwart who becomes an out of contract player this summer. Nemanja Matic has only appeared in 6 Premier League games so far this season and his future looked uncertain at Old Trafford.
AC Milan are supposedly interested in signing Matic on a free transfer. The Serbia international has not exactly been the Red Devils’ most successful signing and will have to prove that he isn’t past it elsewhere.
Christian Eriksen – Attacking Midfield – Tottenham
Valued at £80m+, Christian Eriksen is by far the most expensive player in this list of out of contract players.
The Dane wants to leave Tottenham which could potentially happen this winter, even though the Denmark international is currently injured. Eriksen rejected another contract offer from Tottenham Hotspur last month and seems to be on his way to Inter Milan.
Rumors are that Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and Inter Milan have agreed to a 4.5-year contract and the Italians are reportedly willing to pay £20 million for him.
Wingers – out of contract
Willian – Right Winger – Chelsea
Last month, Willian has revealed that he is in talks with Chelsea over a new contract and is keen to stay at Stamford Bridge. However, no new contract has been agreed yet.
The 31-year-old is in his seventh season at Stamford Bridge after he was signed from Anzhi Makhachkala for £30 million in 2013. The Brazil international has been linked with a move to Juventus but has made clear his preference to stay in London in the coming years.
Ryan Fraser – Left Winger – Bournemouth
Ryan Fraser joined AFC Bournemouth in 2013 and scored 20 goals in 161 appearances for his team. The Scottish international is an out of contract player this summer and has been linked with a return to his home country.
The 25-year old is a regular starter for Bournemouth and has played 21 games this season. But no new contract has been signed yet and Celtic would like to sign a pre-contract agreement with Fraser so he can join the Celts next summer.
Forward – out of contract
Dries Mertens – Centre-Forward – Napoli
The second Belgian in this list, just like Thomas Meunier before him Napoli centre-forward Dries Mertens is also an out of contract player this summer. The Belgian international has scored 4 goals in 16 appearances this season and is likely to leave Italy this year.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed that Mertens’ contract will not be renewed, and recent reports have linked Manchester United with a move for the Belgian international. Mertens has been linked with a move to Barcelona too, where he would serve as a backup for Messi and Suarez, but a lot will depend on the opinion of the new manager in Catalonia.
