Feature

Who are the BEST players available on a free transfer?

By Adrian Kajumba 2 Jul 2024
De Gea, Hummels, Depay

Adrian Kajumba pinpoints the stars who are out of contract from 1 July and may be top targets for Premier League clubs

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Monday 1 July is the date from which a host of star players will be out of contract, meaning clubs can sign them on a free transfer, with no fee required to the clubs where they played last season.

Some players whose contracts expired on 30 June have already agreed new deals with different Premier League clubs.

See: Premier League clubs' 2023/24 released list

But there are many more out-of-contract stars who could make their way to the Premier League. Adrian Kajumba gives a position-by-position guide to some of the bargains out there. 

Goalkeepers 
David De Gea

Still available after a year out following his departure from Manchester United at the end of 2022/23, De Gea has appeared keen to alert potential suitors based on videos of him training posted on social media.

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Loris Karius 

The former Liverpool No 1 has spent the last couple of seasons as a back-up option at Newcastle before being released. His Anfield experience is mainly remembered for a tough night in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. Karius only made two appearances for Newcastle, but came in from the cold for the 2023 Carabao Cup final against Man Utd and showed he can still be a valuable squad member.

Pepe Reina

Still going as he prepares for his 42nd birthday in August, Reina is not ready to stop just yet! He has played for six different clubs since leaving Liverpool 10 years ago. The Spaniard passed the 1,000-match mark last season at Villarreal and is seeking one final challenge before retiring.

Rui Patricio

A familiar name to Premier League fans after his three-season spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Portugal international has since spent the same amount of time at Roma, where he won the 2022 Europa Conference League. Patricio is a member of Portugal's EURO 2024 squad hoping to claim a second winners' medal after their triumph in 2016.

Honourable mentions: Claudio Bravo, Marek Rodak, Wayne Hennessey, Darren Randolph.

Defenders
Raphael Varane

The decorated central defender picked up two trophies in three seasons at Man Utd, despite possibly not hitting the same heights as at Real Madrid. His recent injury record might be a factor for potential interested parties, but Varane provided a reminder of his enduring class by returning from injury to help the Red Devils win the FA Cup last season.

Varane, Man Utd
Cedric Soares

Performances for Southampton helped Soares break into Portugal's plans, including for their triumphant EURO 2016 campaign, and eventually earned him a move to Arsenal. He has mainly been a back-up option during his four-and-a-half seasons at Emirates Stadium. and had a spell on loan at Fulham in 2022/23.

Ryan Sessegnon 

Terrible luck with injury has severely restricted the left-back/left wing-back’s chances of justifying the excitement around him when he joined Tottenham Hotspur from Fulham in 2019, having lit up the Championship. Sessegnon will hope his hamstring issues are cured after surgery on both legs. He could be a shrewd pick, if so. 

Mats Hummels

The hugely influential defender, 35, is available after ending his second, lengthy spell at Borussia Dortmund, where he made 500+ appearances and won two titles. A World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, Hummels remains a robust competitor. He registered over 40 appearances for club and country last season, and helped inspire Dortmund to the UEFA Champions League final.

Mats Hummels, Dortmund
Pepe

A wily player and character whose second spell at Porto, where he was captain, has just come to an end. The 41-year-old defender's hunger for the game is evident, and he has made two group-stage appearances for Portugal at EURO 2024, becoming the oldest player to appear in the finals. He would add plenty of experience and defensive nous to any squad.

Honourable mentions: Sergio Ramos, Mario Hermoso, Joel Matip, Gabriel Osho, Marcos Alonso.

Central midfielders  
Adrien Rabiot

The Frenchman, who has been heavily linked with Man Utd in the past, offers a wealth of experience at the highest level for club and country. Rabiot, currently representing his country at EURO 2024, also has six league titles from his spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. 

Thiago Alcantara 

A supremely and technically gifted player when fit, as he displayed on occasions during his four years at Liverpool. Thiago was a multiple trophy winner at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and ability-wise, he could be a tempting option for any club who would prefer to focus on the potential benefits than his injury issues. 

Dele

Once one of the standout players in Europe during his Spurs peak, Dele's time at Everton was hampered by injury, while he also spoke bravely about off-field issues last year. But he should be hugely motivated when he returns to full fitness after finishing his rehab at Everton, having publicly outlined his determination to make England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Wilfred Ndidi

An all-action midfielder with almost 200 Premier League appearances to his name at Leicester City. Aged just 27, Ndidi could be a clever and long-term addition for any side looking to stiffen up their midfield.

Honourable mentions: Mohamed Elneny, Shandon Baptiste, Jack Cork, Cheikhou Kouyate, Jairo Riedewald

Wingers
Willian

The Brazilian may now be 35, but age has done little to dull his effectiveness. Willian has continued to catch the eye and remain a key player in the last two seasons at Fulham, his third Premier League side, after previous spells at Chelsea and Arsenal. 

Marco Reus

His departure from Dortmund also marked the emotional end of an era. The versatile Reus spent 12 years at his boyhood club after three seasons at Borussia Monchengladbach. Reus signed off with a fairytale goal in his final home appearance against Darmstadt before the Champions League final, and left as Dortmund's second-highest-ever scorer with 170 goals.

Angel Di Maria

The Premier League and Man Utd did not see the best of Di Maria during his unhappy one-season stay after his 2014 arrival from Real Madrid. PSG, especially, saw far better before he joined Juventus and then returned to Benfica. A scorer in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final win against France, he remains in favour for his country and is in their Copa America 2024 squad.

Video is currently not available.

Alexis Sanchez

At his peak, Sanchez was a standout star in the Premier League at Arsenal. A move to Man Utd did not go to plan, but he has since had productive spells at Inter Milan and Marseille.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson

A Burnley stalwart after eight seasons at Turf Moor, where all but one of these were in the Premier League, Gudmundsson made 162 top-flight appearances. The Iceland winger, 33, set up 21 Premier League goals for Burnley team-mates, the most in the club's history. 

Honourable mentions: Nicolas Pepe, Erik Lamela, Juan Cuadrado, Anwar El Ghazi, Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Strikers 
Anthony Martial

A big-money transfer to Man Utd in 2015 - and the supposed inclusion of a Ballon d’Or clause requiring extra payment to Monaco if he won it - were indications of Martial's potential. So too, were some of the goals he scored in his nine years at Old Trafford. Still only 28, he will hope a fresh start brings a change of fortune fitness-wise.

Video is currently not available.

Memphis Depay

Depay was unable to live up to expectations after joining Man Utd in the same summer as Martial, but he did at Lyon in France and remained in demand, moving to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid after that. His record of 46 goals for Netherlands is beaten only by the 50 of two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Robin van Persie

Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting

Far from prolific in his one season at Stoke, few might have imagined Choupo-Moting would be so effective for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, especially during his 17-goal season for the Germans in 2022/23. He was squeezed out at Bayern last season by Harry Kane, but there's no shame in that.

Kelechi Iheanacho 

Although Iheanacho has been used more as a substitute (129) than a starter (90) by both Manchester City and Leicester, the 27-year-old's tally of 47 league goals underlines his ability to make an impact in whatever time he does get. Such a knack could add value to many squads. 

Che Adams 

The Scot worked his way up from non-league to arrive in the Premier League at Southampton. With four top-flight seasons under his belt, he has developed into a player who can operate as a foil for a more out-and-out striker.

Honourable mentions: Michy Batshuayi, Oli McBurnie

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