2018 Free Agent XI

LW: Alexis Sanchez

Man City beckons for the Chilean winger

Another disgruntled Arsenal player on the list, Sanchez has been unhappy in London for a while now, although he has arguably spent the best years of his playing career there since joining the Gunners in 2014.

Arsenal’s lack of silverware apart from the FA Cup, not to mention their failure to qualify for the Champions League last season, has left Alexis hungry for more silverware.

Man City have been circling around for the Chilean winger, and Sanchez is probably one of the very few players who can improve an already indestructible squad.

With Arsenal still being linked to Thomas Lemar, Wenger will most likely let Sanchez leave if he can wrap up a deal for the Monaco forward.

While City still remain the frontrunners, PSG are also an option, although Guardiola is very confident of signing him by June at the latest.

ST: Mario Balotelli

"Super Mario" will leave Nice very soon

After disastrous spells at Livepool and AC Milan, Super Mario has managed to bring his career back on track in the last couple of seasons with Nice.

He’s been on fire this season, having already scored 10 goals in 13 matches. Possibly the most controversial striker of his generation, Balotelli last made an appearance for Italy back in 2014.

With his contract running out next June, Nice have admitted that they cannot afford his wages any longer. Balotelli himself wants to move to a bigger club.

Currently 27 years old, he reportedly wants to play continental football again and has been eyeing a return to Man City on a free for a while. That remains very unlikely, as Pep is already struggling to keep his two existing strikers (Aguero and Jesus) happy with adequate playing time.

But his recent form will have certainly caught the attention of other clubs in Europe monitoring his contract situation. He will most probably leave France very soon, but his destination remains to be seen.

RW: Arjen Robben

The Dutch winger is approaching the end of his career and might leave Bayern

The Dutch speedster continues to defy age with 3 goals in 11 appearances in the Bundesliga this season. While he is still an important player for Jupp Heynckes, his long-term future at Bayern is up in the air.

The Munich giants have signed the likes of Kingsley Coman and James Rodriguez as replacements for Robben and Ribery, who are now well into their thirties.

This means that there is a possibility of Bayern opting not to renew Robben’s contract when it expires next summer, although his form might convince them otherwise.

He’s been at Bayern for so long that its almost impossible to imagine Robben playing elsewhere, especially at the age of 33.

There were a few reports back in the summer that he was tempted by a move to United, who were on the lookout for a new winger. But a move to England now doesn’t seem like a possibility, with Mourinho having prioritized a left back for the winter window.

A move back to the Netherlands does remain a possibility, but Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that he planned to have talks with Robben and Ribery over a renewal.