Every new season sees a number of players move into the final year of their contract. Sometimes it is the clubs who are at fault for not extending the said player’s contract. In other instances, players choose to run down their contracts – either in the hope that desperate clubs give them a better deal with higher wages or simply because they want to leave the club.
Ever since the Bosman ruling allowed players at the end of their contract to leave without a transfer fee, players were allowed to sign a pre-contract with another club six months before the end of their current contract. The pre-contract ensures the new club signs the player on for free before other clubs step in to try and convince the player to join them instead.
We look at 10 Premier League players who can do that come January 2017. (Updated as of 4 October)
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#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Manchester United
Footballers in their mid-30s are usually on the wane and look for one last big payday before hanging up their boots for good. Not Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker just turned 35 but still plays like he is at his peak.
Indeed, he had the best season of his career last season when he scored 50 goals across all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain. At Manchester United, he is four years older than captain Wayne Rooney but still looks a far fitter and more flexible player than the Englishman.
“If you didn’t know Zlatan’s age, you’d think he was 28 or 29,” gushed Ander Herrera. “He’s an example to every one of us!”
Ibrahimovic only signed a one-year deal at United. Will he stay on like Jose Mourinho said he would?
#2 Per Mertesacker – Arsenal
Arsenal have not had a permanent inspirational captain on the pitch for quite some time and the trend has continued into the 2016/17 season. A knee injury ruled him out for a few months and prompted Arsene Wenger to sign Shkodran Mustafi as a replacement.
Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta suffered similar fates; sidelined due to recurring injuries and having to hand over the captain’s armband to the vice-captain. Laurent Koscielny has stepped in and done a fabulous job as captain while forming a very effective partnership with Mustafi.
This leaves Mertesacker in limbo. The German defender will be 33 next season and Wenger usually gives only one-year contracts to outfield players over 30. If he cannot return to his best this season, the French boss may well look to move him on and replace him with a younger and more mobile defender.
#3 Yaya Toure – Manchester City
Following the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Yaya Toure has been frozen out of the squad, even missing out on the 23-man squad for the Champions League. A battle in the press between the Catalan manager and Toure’s agent has not helped either and the relationship looks beyond repair.
Guardiola had already allowed Toure to move on from Barcelona in 2010 and his form and fitness towards the end of last season does not justify including him in the squad, let alone make the starting lineup.
Toure’s sensational 2013/14 season is now just a distant memory when he scored 20 goals in the club’s Premier League triumph (24 goals in all competitions). He is no longer the marauding central midfielder that dominates the midfield.
Reports say City will allow Toure to leave in January, even if it is to a Premier League club. And the 33-year-old doesn’t look like he has a future at the Etihad.
#4 Michael Carrick – Manchester United
Manchester United’s perfect start to the season was quickly derailed when three consecutive losses threatened to undermine Mourinho’s credentials as the right man for the job. After signing Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, United do not have a dearth of midfield players to choose from; so much so that players such as Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin barely get a chance to play.
Which leaves Michael Carrick with a lot to do to earn his place in the lineup. His calm and assured passing is still a quality that is highly effective and admired by the fans. But giving a 36-year-old a contract extension is not something Mourinho would look forward to.
The Portuguese manager is a pragmatist and would rather have a new signing on the bench rather than give an ageing player a few minutes in the less important fixtures. This may well and truly be Carrick’s final season at Old Trafford.
#5 John Terry – Chelsea
Chelsea’s back line needs drastic changes. Antonio Conte was given a wake-up call when both Liverpool and Arsenal got the better of the Blues in consecutive matches. Chelsea's defence was vulnerable without the presence of the injured John Terry and it forced club owner Roman Abramovich to hold crisis talks with his Italian manager.
Whether Conte switches to a defensive line of three at the back is still debatable. But with Terry in the side, Chelsea simply cannot afford to play a high line that will expose his lack of pace. He will turn 36 this season and, if last season was anything to go by, another contract extension may not be on the cards.
Conte will list out his transfer targets and ensure the club gets them this time. With the young Kurt Zouma also waiting in the wings, Terry’s days at Stamford Bridge look numbered. Whether he moves on or retires, he will still be regarded as the club’s greatest servant having joined them way back in 1995.
#6 Santi Cazorla – Arsenal
When asked about a new contract, Santi Cazorla said: “I don't have any news from the club. My focus now is on playing and to be able to enjoy playing football following a season when I had lots of problems [with injuries].”
Ask any Arsenal fan and they would jump at the club’s throat if they did not offer the diminutive Spaniard a new contract. Cazorla will turn 32 this season but that has not stopped him from controlling Arsenal’s midfield, paired with either the energetic Francis Coquelin or the steely Granit Xhaka.
A threat from set-pieces and also the club’s designated penalty taker, Cazorla has returned to the side and already scored twice. With the best passing accuracy in the Premier League at the moment, there is nothing stopping the Gunners from extending his contract.
#7 Fernandinho – Manchester City
“Fernandinho can do everything. If a team had three Fernandinhos, they would be champions. We only have one and he is very important to us.” – Pep Guardiola.
Yet, the 31-year-old is in the final year of his contract. It is still early days for Guardiola at Manchester City and he is still assessing his squad this season. The club invested heavily to rebuild the squad this summer. And he could spend more next summer, too.
Fernandinho may yet find himself at City next season if Guardiola feels he can still contribute to his style of play. Besides, if Toure is sold in January or leaves for free next summer, losing Fernandinho would leave a gaping hole in midfield.
Ilkay Gundogan may step into his position in the starting lineup but one would expect Guardiola to keep Fernandinho on as a backup midfielder.
#8 Branislav Ivanovic – Chelsea
Yet another player who has struggled in the Chelsea back line for the past 12 months is Branislav Ivanovic. The Serbian defender had a terrible 2015/16 season as Chelsea’s title defence was scuppered in a series of disastrous losses. And left wingers had a field day taking on Ivanovic on the flank.
His tackles per game have steadily declined over the past few seasons and he no longer has the pace to keep up with speedy wingers. He turns 33 this season and continuing to play him as a full-back will only lead to fewer clean sheets.
However, Ivanovic could still be moved to a centre-back position. Should Conte switch to three defenders at the back, he may still be able to manage to get game time with the protection of a wing-back and a central midfielder to ensure he is never left exposed. He is still a threat on set pieces and should not be brushed aside too quickly.
#9 Adrian – West Ham
“Adrian is not here, not because he does not deserve it, but because Sergio [Rico] also does and he's playing well. I don't know them, but the experience with Adrian was excellent and now I want to see Rico. I don't know what may happen in the future.” – Spain coach Julen Lopetegui
The West Ham United goalkeeper has seen better days last season but is still a crucial member of Slaven Bilic’s side. The move to the new Olympic stadium has not helped the Hammers after a surprising seventh place finish last season.
West Ham are in dire straits this season, sitting 18th in the table and in the relegation zone. But Adrian has made 24 saves this season – the third highest in the league so far. The fact that he has been considered as an option by the Spain coach suggests he has been doing the right things.
Adrian is only 29 – still a long way to go for a goalkeeper. If West Ham do not extend his contract, there will be plenty of clubs lining up for his signature.
#10 Jesus Navas – Manchester City
The career of Jesus Navas has been one of a player that has not lived up to the potential that many saw during his peak in Spain. At Sevilla, he was one of their key players, topping the assists table and adding goals whenever he could.
A lot was expected of him when he moved to the Premier League but he sadly became a player that was too predictable and easily found out. His searing pace still allowed him to beat defenders but his one-dimensional play of hugging the touchline and aimlessly crossing the ball into the box soon became frustrating.
He seems to have undergone a mini-metamorphosis under Guardiola and we have seen Navas change his game by drifting in when possible and get involved in the game rather than waiting for it the ball to come to him. Navas still has a couple of years left at the top and is a decent squad player to have. But will Guardiola keep him?
