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As another season comes to an end, a period of football madness begins off the field – the transfer window. With clubs looking to buy (and sell) players to improve squads, make profits and reach higher goals next season, managers will be looking for some bargain buys.
But there are a number of free agents in the market whose contracts came to an end with the 2014/15 season and for clubs looking to add quality players to their roster, here are 10 players they can sign – without having to pay a single penny in transfer fees!
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Note: All players listed belowe were free agents as of 27 May 2015.
1) James Milner – Manchester City
It's bizarre to see that Manchester City have allowed the contract of a player of Milner’s calibre to be run down after paying £26 million to sign him from Aston Villa. They risk losing a hard-working and versatile player if he doesn’t sign the new four-year deal worth close to £165,000 per week that was offered to him this month. That offer would make him one of the highest earners at the club and it confirms that Manuel Pellegrini does not want to lose such an important player for free.
Milner has played 40 games this season and has scored 8 goals while providing 7 assists. He has been started in many high profile games across competitions like the EPL and the Champions League. With the ability to play across the midfield, this tireless English player would be an asset to any club and the fact that the 29-year-old is a homegrown player is a bonus. Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked to Milner as well as clubs abroad.
2) André-Pierre Gignac – Marseille
The 29-year-old French forward is another player Marseille are resigned to losing this summer as his contract ends at the end of June. He has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs over the years but never quite made a big enough impact for clubs to shell out money for the centre forward.
Now that he is available on a free transfer, Gignac, who scored 23 goals in all competitions this season, could move to the lesser clubs in the EPL with West Bromwich Albion linked in the past. Strong in the air and with a powerful right foot, this may be his last chance to move abroad before he ends up on the wrong side of 30.
3) Sergio Romero – Sampdoria
Although the Argentina goalkeeper reached the World Cup final with the Albiceleste, his club Sampdoria will only finish as high as seventh in the Serie A. His contract ends this summer and the 6’3” goalkeeper will most likely leave the Italian club.
A goalkeeper with quick reflexes, he has played more for Argentina than he has for his club in the past two seasons. Liverpool are on the lookout for a goalkeeper to replace Brad Jones and Romero could be their man
4) Nigel de Jong – AC Milan
The Dutchman had an impressive World Cup for Netherlands under Louis van Gaal and it is no surprise that he is linked with a move back to the Premier League, but this time to the red side of Manchester. The combative defensive midfielder has had a torrid season under a terribly managed AC Milan who will barely manage to finish in the top half of the table.
With Milan reportedly ready to offer him only about £30,000 per week, De Jong will look to the riches the EPL has to offer. He is no stranger to the English game having won an FA Cup and Premier League title between 2010 and 2012.
5) Andre Ayew – Marseille
Marseille were already resigned to losing 25-year-old Ayew even before the season came to an end. “We can't offer him the kind of money English clubs can offer,” said club president Vincent Labrune. The high tax rates in France prevents players from earning high wages compared to what they would earn in other top leagues in Europe – one of the main reasons for the exodus of players from Ligue 1.
With the ability to play as a left winger or forward, he scored 11 goals for Marseille this season apart from also being the top scorer at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Serie A clubs Roma and Inter Milan are interested in securing the Ghanian’s signature while he is also linked with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Swansea in the EPL.
6) Sami Khedira – Real Madrid
The German midfielder hasn’t had the best of seasons at Real Madrid and was free to sign a pre-contract with a club of his choice in January itself. But he chose to focus on the season as Madrid faltered in the final stretch. After a successful World Cup campaign, Khedira came back to Madrid and found himself on the fringes of Los Blancos’ XI with Carlo Ancelotti choosing to play his compatriot and new signing Toni Kroos in central midfield.
Having played only 370 minutes of football this season, it’s easy to see why Madrid are letting him go as they get ready for another splurge in the transfer market to fix a squad that failed miserably this season. Khedira is still a useful box-to-box midfielder who is an asset in both defence and attack. He has been linked with a move back to the Bundesliga with Schalke and Serie A champions Juventus.
7) Dani Alves – Barcelona
After serving the club since 2008 and winning numerous trophies during Barcelona’s golden era, Alves was considered one of the best right-backs in the world. And now, the Brazilian looks all set to leave the Camp Nou after they failed to agree a new contract. The 32-year-old is reportedly a target for Manchester United who have struggled on the right flank with Rafael da Silva and Valencia failing to impress Louis van Gaal.
Alves may be a free agent but will not be cheap when it comes to wages. Alves suggested in a recent press conference that he was being offered a new contract only because of Barcelona’s transfer ban and that he wanted the club to show him more respect. He will make a decision on his future after the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals.
8) Ron Vlaar - Aston Villa
The Dutch defender has been on Manchester United’s radar ever since the 2014 World Cup and the rumours haven’t stopped circulating yet. The 30-year-old centre back helped the Oranje reach the World Cup semi-final, eventually finishing third.
He is out of contract this summer and could leave Villa for free. But new manager Tim Sherwood has stated that Vlaar “wants to stay” and that he is happy at Aston Villa. The only stumbling block this season was the fact that he missed a big chunk of the season due to injuries.
9) Danny Ings – Burnley FC
Although Burnley were relegated from the Premier League this season Ings stood out as the only real hope this squad has of ever making it back to the EPL. But he looks all set to end his stint at Turf Moor with many EPL clubs interested in signing the forward. Having played more than 3000 minutes in the EPL this season, the Englishman scored 11 goals and grabbed 4 assists.
The 22-year-old is reportedly a target for Tottenham Hotspur who are actually willing to pay £12 million to sign him. Though he is a free agent, clubs looking to sign any player under the age of 24 who is out of contract will have to pay a training compensation fee. In Ings’ case, the fee was set at £5-6million. But with Ings preferring a move to Liverpool, Spurs are trying to outbid their EPL rivals to land him. Ultimately, the decision is up to Ings himself with Burnley having no say in his final destination.
10) Ignazio Abate – AC Milan
The 28-year-old right back has been offered a contract extension at Milan but with issues surrounding the ownership and the managerial position at the club, it has been put on hold. There were reports of a deal 3-year deal worth €2.5 million per year on the table for him to sign.
Abate has been a mainstay at Milan since the 2009/10 season and has averaged almost 35 games a season until 2014/15 when he played only 23 games and managing to get six assists. He even played for Italy in Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. With seven Milan players’ contracts running out this season, a squad overhaul could be on the cards with the current environment at the club. And Abate has been linked with both Liverpool and Manchester United.
