10 top class players who could be available for free next summer

Transfers are an integral part of football, being in place right from the founding periods of the game in the late 19th century.In the early periods, the transfers of players were done in a rather haphazard way, with no clear-cut directive, but over time, it has become refined and fine-tuned with a set of rules governing the purchase or sale of a player.Football is a professional sport, and as such the players are all professionals who are contracted to a certain club once they put pen to paper agreeing to the terms of their contract.At the expiration of a contract, a club either has the option to either agree on fresh terms for renewal or let the player in question leave on a free transfer, better known as a Bosman transfer.The 'Bosman rule' is a relatively new concept governing transfers, and it got its coinage after the player involved in the court case which had a profound effect on the future of players transfer within the European Union.In previous times, a club had first right of refusal to a player once his contract expired, and they still had the right to maintain him on their roster even if he was no longer under a contract.Such players usually saw a reduction in their wages (as they were not playing), and could not legally seek a transfer to another club without the consent of their present club (even though they were no longer bound by a contract).Clubs usually took advantage of this and asked for transfer fees for such players before granting permission for transfers, and a failure to do so usually had adverse effects on player’s careers, as it affected their playing time and earning capacity.This unfair rule was in place for over a century, with clubs making illegal profits off the racketeering scheme, but all that changed in 1990.Jean Marc-Bosman was a player for RFC Liege in the Belgium First Division, and on the expiration of his contract in 1990, he sought a transfer to French club Dunkerque. However, Dunkerque failed to meet Liege’s asking price for Bosman, with the result being that he was stuck at the club while his wages were reduced (as he was no longer a first team player).Bosman took the unusual step of taking his cause to the highest European court in three separate cases (against UEFA, FC Liege and the Belgian FA).After five long years of hard deliberation, the European Court of Justice ruled in his favour and declared that it was illegal for clubs to hold first rights of refusal to a player who was not contractually bound to them.The judgment had a profound effect on the future of football, as players now had relatively more control over their professional futures unlike their peers for the last century, with footballers nowadays intentionally running down their contracts at a club in other to get fresh and improved terms elsewhere.Former Netherlands midfield legend Edgar Davids became the first high profile player to leave on a Bosman when he departed Ajax for AC Milan in 1996, and since then, numerous other world class players have been snapped up on a free including Michael Ballack, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Raul Gonzalez, Gigi Buffon among others.The transfer window was officially regulated in 2003, making it a must for all transfers to be completed either in the summer or winter windows, unlike the case in past years where transfers were conducted at all points in the season.The last summer window saw a lot of notable movements across European clubs as major money was spent to bring in marquee talent. However, sometimes players botained for free actually go on to define a club’s season, and as such, managers are usually on the lookout for fantastic talent who are available for nothing.There are numerous world class players who are into the final year of their contracts at their present clubs and would make a bargain addition for any club that snaps them up. In this piece, we present in no particular order ten fantastic players who could be available on a free come next summer.Honourable mentions – Javier Pastore (PSG), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Ander Herrera (Manchester United), Arjen Robben (Bayen Munich), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)Disclaimer: All contract situations correct as of 2nd December 2018#10 David Luiz (Chelsea)Chelsea FC v Fulham FC - Premier LeagueControversial yet highly talented, the 31-year-old Brazilian is always a firm fan favourite wherever he plays due to his knack for always playing his heart out whenever he is on the field as well as his go-happy persona.Luiz grabbed headlines in Portugal with Benfica, prompting Chelsea to sign him in January of 2011, and he spent three successful seasons at the club before transferring to PSG to team up with international partner Thiago Silva for a then world record fee for a defender.His spell in Paris lasted just two seasons, and he returned to Chelsea in 2016, immediately helping the club to the EPL title in the first season of his second spell.He fell out with Conte towards the end of the Italian’s tenure in charge and there were rife rumours that he was on his way out of the club, but he has enjoyed a new lease of life under Maurizio Sarri, making 13 appearances in the Premier League thus far.Luiz’s contract runs out in the summer, and it is highly likely that he would be offered a renewal, but that is yet to happen which would have Europe’s biggest clubs monitoring his situation closely.

10 top class players who could be available for free next summer

#2 Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham)