Exploring the free agents’ market is something that every top club wants to contemplate. The proposition of getting a top name on a free transfer has become somewhat of a norm and teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have already gone down the route, with the former signing Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gigio Donnarumma last summer.
It’s the same story every season and by the winter transfer window, not only the players but also the clubs start scouting their options and this year’s no different. By the end of the 2021/22 season, several top names will be out of contract and one can expect significant movements in the summer.
On that note, we look at five big names that are available on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
Kylian Mbappe - Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe was a subject of interest for Real Madrid last summer and even the club made peace with the fact that there’s no point in tabling more offers for the French forward. Back then, Real Madrid made a €160 million offer for the 23-year-old but saw their bid getting an outright rejection.
As things stand, Mbappe’s current PSG contract will run down in June 2022 and despite forcing an exit early in the season, he is said to be in talks with the club over a potential renewal. That deal, however, is only to ensure the young forward does not leave the club for free.
Paul Pogba - Manchester United
Paul Pogba, whose last Manchester United appearance came in November 2021, is expected to leave the club on a free transfer for the second time in his career. Neither the player nor the team seemed to have made up their mind over a decision, and as things stand, the parties involved are ready to wait until the last minute before making any kind of commitment.
Pogba, who joined United in 2016 on a five-year contract, is free to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January but is expected to wait until summer. It is being said that Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are monitoring his situation, but no offer has been placed so far.
Angel di Maria - Paris Saint-Germain
Another high-profile name from the French capital is that of Angel di Maria. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United winger will be out of contract in June 2022 and hasn’t found an agreement in place over a possible extension. It is reported that the player has been offered to Inter by his agent but the Argentine is being assessed since he is not the priority at the moment.
Despite going under the radar, the left-footed winger has scored three goals coupled with four assists in 13 Ligue 1 games this season. And while there is hope that he will, in fact, sign a new deal, an agreement is yet to be reached.
Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea
Chelsea have as many as three first-choice defenders who will be out of contract in the summer. One of them is Antonio Rudiger, who has attracted interest from some of the top clubs around the continent. While there are hopes that he will put pen to a new long-term deal with Blues, interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid persists. And these are the kinds of teams that are hard to reject.
Chelsea are set to be working on a new contract, but it is said that the defender will assess his options before committing to his future.
Ousmane Dembele - Barcelona
Barcelona are in absolute mess regarding the future of Ousmane Dembele. The French forward will be out of contract in the summer and although the Catalan club has already tabled a few offers, the player is yet to accept the term.
While Barcelona are keen on extending his stay, lucrative offers from the Premier League mean the team cannot compete with the suitors on the financial front given they are already failing to comply with La Liga’s salary cap rule. Dembele’s salary demand is proving to be the stumbling block and judging by the looks of things, an exit seems quite evident.
Featured photo: AFP / Thomas Coex
