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Summer freebies
There are still plenty of prizes still up for grabs in the remaining weeks of 2017-18, but clubs across Europe will already have an eye on the summer transfer window.
As things stand, the following 14 high-profile players will all be out of contract at the end of June. Everyone loves a bargain - even mega-rich football clubs - so we'd expect every individual on this list to be in demand this summer...
Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus)
Asamoah looks set to play more games for Juventus this season than he has since 2013-14, but the Ghanaian could still move on this summer. The 29-year-old, who can play in midfield or at left-back, has been linked with Tottenham and Inter, with the latter reportedly in pole position to snap him up when his contract expires in June.
Injuries have disrupted Asamoah’s career in recent times and Juve’s signing of Alex Sandro means he’s no longer a guaranteed starter. A desire for more regular game time could lead him to seek pastures new in the next few months.
Mario Balotelli (Nice)
Balotelli has restored some of the shine to his reputation at Nice in the last two seasons, finding the net 39 times in 58 outings following his short-lived – and disastrous – spell at Liverpool.
Perhaps more importantly, the Italian has – for the most part – avoided on-field skirmishes and off-field controversy on France’s south coast, which will no doubt assuage the fears of many managers across Europe. There’s still a degree of risk in signing Balotelli, but the absence of a transfer fee could be enough to persuade interested parties to bite the bullet.
Hatem Ben Arfa (PSG)
After making just five Ligue 1 starts for PSG in 2016-17, Ben Arfa has been completely frozen out by manager Unai Emery this time around. The former Newcastle attacker hasn’t played a single minute for the first team this term, making his exit this summer inevitable.
Ben Arfa probably regrets leaving Nice in 2016 having thrived as a big fish in a small pond, but persistent doubts over his attitude mean he probably won’t attract the amount of suitors his natural talent deserves.
Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Bernard’s career hasn’t progressed as he would have liked in the last few years, but this summer could be a turning point as he prepares to leave Shakhtar – the club he first joined in 2013.
The Brazilian winger is still only 25 and therefore has ample time on his side, but he’ll have to choose his next move wisely. Premier League duo Chelsea and Arsenal have both been linked in the past, while the player himself has hinted that a return to his homeland isn’t completely out of the question.
Emre Can (Liverpool)
Can doesn’t start every game for Liverpool, but he’s still an important member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad at Anfield. The Reds boss will therefore be determined to keep his fellow German around, but the 24-year-old still hasn’t signed a contract that’s been on the table for several months now.
Stefan de Vrij (Lazio)
De Vrij has been linked with a move to the Premier League ever since Louis van Gaal arrived Manchester United in 2014, but the Dutch defender remains at Lazio four years on. His stay in the Italian capital is unlikely to go beyond this season, though, with the 26-year-old on the shopping list of numerous European sides.
United could renew their interest in a centre-half who’s among the best in Serie A, but it’s Inter who are leading the race for his signature.
Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)
Fellaini isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and it probably didn’t help the Belgium’s cause that he arrived at United in summer 2013 – when the Red Devils were linked with Toni Kroos, Thiago Alcantara and Gareth Bale – as new manager David Moyes’ only major signing.
Jose Mourinho has defended the 30-year-old on several occasions throughout his own Old Trafford tenure, but Fellaini remains a back-up option under the Portuguese. If he wants to play week in, week out, he’ll need to change employers this summer.
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Ribery has won seven Bundesliga titles (soon to be eight), five DFB-Pokals and the Champions League during his 11 seasons in Munich, but 2017-18 could be the final Bayern campaign for a player who turns 35 in early April.
The former France international will become a free agent in June; he hasn’t ruled out signing a new deal at the Allianz Arena, but it’s equally possible that he’ll be seeking new employers this summer. Clubs from the United States and China would no doubt be interested a winger of his ability and experience, but Ribery may wish to continue playing in Europe for as long as possible.
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Bayern winger Robben retired from international football when the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, but he still has plenty left to offer at club level despite having turned 34 in January.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid man has been directly involved in nine Bundesliga goals this season, and although he’s no longer an automatic starter at the Allianz Arena, almost every squad in the world would be improved by the Dutchman’s presence. Robben recently dismissed the prospect of moving to MLS or the Chinese Super League, so he’s likely to still be in Europe in 2018-19.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Still only 22, Shaw was touted as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe when Manchester United won the race for his signature back in 2013, but things have gone downhill for the left-back since he broke his leg against PSV two-and-a-half years ago.
Jose Mourinho, for one reason or another, clearly hasn’t taken to the former Southampton man, whose departure this summer now seems inevitable after the Portuguese signed a new contract earlier in the year.
Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
Despite having edged closer and closer to the exit door in the last three years, Toure remains at Manchester City. The midfielder has been a bit-part player under Pep Guardiola this season, though, and it’s hard to see him remaining at the club beyond the summer.
Toure may be keen on a final big pay day in MLS or the Chinese Super League, particularly as his contract status means a buying club wouldn’t need to fork out a transfer fee. Turning 35 in May, the Ivorian will almost certainly bid goodbye to the Etihad in the coming weeks.
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
A loan move to Bournemouth brought only mixed success for Wilshere last season: the midfielder largely stayed fit and made 27 appearances in the Premier League, but he struggled to recapture his best form on the south coast. The England international has been much improved this term, though, reminding everyone of his quality after belatedly returning to the Arsenal starting XI in December.
Wilshere is now 26, which gives him plenty of time to fulfil his potential but means his next contract is a huge decision. He will no doubt look at the improvements made by former team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Liverpool – not to mention the ongoing uncertainty at the Emirates – and consider whether his future lies elsewhere.
Amin Younes (Ajax)
Younes hasn’t had everything his own way at Ajax this season, making just nine starts in the league as his contract runs down. Injuries haven’t helped his cause, but the winger has often been left out even when fully fit, making it hard to see him sticking around at the Amsterdam Arena beyond this season.
The Germany international winger, who turns 25 in August, possesses plenty of ability and he’ll be determined to prove himself in a different environment next term. Napoli appear confident of securing his services, but several Premier League outfits have also shown an interest.
