Top 10 Premier League Stars available on a Free Transfer in the summer

With the January transfer window fast approaching and clubs no doubt scrambling to try and keep their best players tied down, let’s look at the players who are coming to the back end of their contracts and would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement to move to a club outside of the Premier League in January. Alternatively, for managers in charge of the players, it’s their last opportunity to get a fee for the player, so will we see some players move on the cheap in the winter transfer window of 2018?

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#10 Luke Shaw

Now, there is a case which suggests that the United full back shouldn’t even be on here as United had a one year option in his contract which they apparently triggered over the course of the summer. However, there has been no official statement from Manchester United on the matter and he’s still listed on Transfermarkt as expiring at the end of this season, as opposed to next, so I’m sticking with my gut and saying it runs out this summer.

There has always been friction between Mourinho and Shaw ever since Mourinho took over from Van Gaal around a number of different issue, namely to do with Shaw’s fitness and attitude. It was of course Van Gaal who brought him from Southampton for a fee in the region of £30,000,000, a record for a teenager at the time.

In the three full seasons Shaw has been at United since he was signed, he has only managed a grand total of 32 games in the Premier League. In contrast, he managed that in one year at Southampton, however, he has been plagued by a number of different injuries, so maybe a fresh start for Shaw would be best.

In terms of destinations for the left back, it is thought Newcastle are interested and there were some rumblings of a swap deal with Tottenham for their wantaway defender, Danny Rose, in the summer. Will they resurrect their interest? Maybe. Is his future away from Old Trafford? 100%.

#9 Yohan Cabaye

Surely Cabaye won't stay if Palace go down

Cabaye is a very good player. He won’t be short of any potential suitors when his contract runs out at Selhurst Park next year as he has performed very well wherever he has been. His professional career began at Lille and he played for a solid seven years before he decided to chance his arm elsewhere. He went to Newcastle for a few seasons before returning to France with PSG where he played a season and a half.

He arrived in South London in July 2015 and has asserted himself as a real crowd favourite right from the outset. The signing of him was a real statement of intent from Crystal Palace at the time as he’s a player who I firmly believe could play for any side in the Premier League, probably with the exception of the top six.

Palace will be desperate to hold onto the midfield maestro but a lot of will hinder on whether or not they retain their Premier League status. There won’t be any danger of Palace cashing in on the Frenchman in January as he will prove vital in their battle against the drop, but with him turning 32 in January, where will he be wanting to go next?

Arsene Wenger has been an admirer of Cabaye since his time at Newcastle and he would add some zip to their midfield but you can’t really imagine him starting week in, week out which is obviously what he will be after. Newcastle fans would have him back in a heartbeat and I think a lot of clubs will be after him especially if he’s available on a freebie.

#8 Ander Herrera

Herrera has found his chances limited this season

You have to feel sorry for Herrera as he won the fans player of the year last season after a number of strong performances throughout the course of the season, namely United’s successful Europa League campaign, but now he finds himself struggling to break into the starting eleven. It started a lot like this last season with Fellaini preferred to the Spaniard but he managed to force his way in and ended up making fifty appearances for the Red Devils.

This season he has found himself in a similar situation to last but this time round he is up against Nemanja Matic for a place next to Paul Pogba. What makes it so much more difficult this time is because Matic is one of Mourinho’s own, having taken him to Chelsea, Jose then took him to Old Trafford and its difficult to really look past the pairing of Pogba and Matic moving forward for United.

The ex Bilbao man is apparently attracting interest in his native Spain with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid apparently interested if you believe what you read in the paper. To be fair, Herrera would make the perfect back-up to Atletico’s captain, Gabi, but I can’t see him moving from being a sub in England to a sub in Spain as it kind of doesn’t make sense.

#7 Jack Wilshere

Will Wilshere have to look elsewhere for first team football?

How do you solve a problem like Jack Wilshere? An undoubtedly talented individual, however, he is never too far away from trouble. He has been in more trouble with the police than the average Joe and this a professional football player that has been compared to Paul Gascoigne in the past. Let’s hope he doesn’t follow in Gazza’s footsteps off the pitch.

With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez maybe on their way out of the Emirates (we’ll come on to those two later), it would be in Wilshere’s best interests to stay put at Arsenal because without those two it will open the door for Wilshere to be involved on a more regular basis.

It’s a shame Wilshere’s fitness is an issue as well because there is a very, very good player in there, he just needs a run of games in the side, whether he has to go away from Arsenal to do that remains to be seen. There was a lot of interest in the midfielder in the summer but Wenger said that he had a role to play this season and he has, just not a major one.

Much like his spell at Bournemouth last season, I feel that a temporary move away from Arsenal would benefit him as he needs to play games on a regular basis as opposed to bench warming. Maybe he will call time on his Arsenal career altogether, we’ll have to wait and see.

#6 Ross Barkley

Barkley has not featured since last season

Remember him? In a rather bizarre move in the summer, Chelsea had agreed a £35,000,000 fee for Barkley but then in the last minute Barkley changed his mind and decided he wanted to stay at Everton. If that wasn’t strange enough, before that he also rejected a new contract to stay at Goodison Park, so why he rejected the Chelsea move is anyone’s guess.

Barkley is still yet to play this season due to tearing his hamstring in pre-season but is thought that he will be back in the first team picture in the coming weeks. New Everton boss Sam Allardyce said after their win against Huddersfield: "I'd like to think we can keep Barkley, unless somebody's already done a deal for him.” Make of that what you will, if Allardyce hasn’t got a clue, then it doesn’t leave much hope for the rest of us.

Now, you would think that with Barkley rejecting Chelsea in the summer, there wouldn’t be any danger of him turning out in the Chelsea blue come the latter part of this season or the beginning of next, but stranger things have happened in football. Personally speaking, I think he’ll be off to Spurs for a cut-price deal in January.

#5 Fernandinho

Fernandinho has been the glue of City's midfield this season

Fernandinho is somewhat of an unsung hero within what is a fantastic Man City side this season. He has started every Premier League game this season with the exception of the West Ham game as the ‘Citizens’ have opened up what is already being deemed an uncatchable lead by some.

An article in the Manchester Evening News called Fernandinho the glue that sticks Manchester City together and that is absolutely right. He protects that back four whilst those around him destroy teams in a clinical manner, so why has he not been offered a new deal?

Firstly, you have to look at the Brazilian’s age as he will be 33 by the time the season finishes next year. One would think that Pep will be wanting a ‘younger model’ to protect the back four with Fernandinho no more than a back-up if they choose to renew his contract.

Fernandinho would be a superb addition to any side in world football, without necessarily playing every week, he is a calm head to have around the training ground and because of his experiences with City, he would be a great mentor to those around him.

With the Brazilian also contributing assists and goals every now and again as well he has gone from being Yaya Toure’s understudy to the main man in the middle of the park. If he could play on for another couple of years at the level he is at now, Man City would be daft to let him go.

#4 Mesut Ozil

Barcelona bound?

I think its safe to say that Ozil won’t be at Arsenal come the start of next season. The German is a fantastic player, however, in the same breath, he is also got to be one of the most annoying players ever to grace the Premier League. The reason I say that is because, despite the fact that he is so gifted, there can be times where he goes missing and this is something which is particularly notable in the big games.

If we take a look at the ‘big’ games from this season, it will back up what I’m saying as he fails to really make an impact in the games that matter most. First up, Arsenal’s trip to Anfield was an electric performance by Liverpool, but, Arsenal & Ozil never got going and he got booked for his troubles, as well. Same thing happened at the Etihad, never got going and got booked and on both occasions, the bookings were for stupid tackles.

In the North London Derby, though, he turned up and coincidentally, so did Arsenal. However, there is no such thing as a coincidence as that is an algorithm that just works for Arsene Wenger, if only Ozil could do that more often. He assisted the first and was instrumental throughout versus Spurs as he put in what can only be described as a Man of the Match performance.

Manchester United has been mooted as a potential destination for the German, but Wenger and Arsenal will do everything within their power to make sure he doesn’t go to a Premier League rival. The alternate venue that has been doing the rounds is the Nou Camp of Barcelona and whilst Wenger won’t be to keen on losing him at all, he would much rather lose him to Barcelona than the red half of Manchester.

#3 Juan Mata

Mata has won everything on offer in England

Juan Mata is an individual who can produce a bit of magic that can change the outcome of a game in the blink of an eye, however, recently he has found Jesse Lingard ahead of him in the Manchester United pecking order. It really is difficult to argue against as well because Lingard is on somewhat of a hot streak at present making it all the more difficult for Mata to break into the side and because he doesn’t particularly have a lot of pace, he’s not the sort of player you bring off the bench.

His relationship with Jose Mourinho has always been quite well documented, as when Mourinho was in his second stint as Chelsea boss, he sold Mata to United as he didn’t favour him at Stamford Bridge. However, since Mourinho has been at Old Trafford, their relationship seems much better, although it remains to be seen if Mata will be offered a new contract.

Mata is a player who has won everything on offer in England bar the Premier League which has so far proved elusive, on the other hand, he has collected winner’s medals for the Champions League and the Europa League alongside the domestic English trophies, so he is a player that comes with some pedigree.

Dependant on what newspaper you read in England, its difficult to say where he could potentially be going as initially he was linked with a big-money move to China and then more recently, he was linked with a move to Real Madrid. He has got unfinished business at the Bernabeu as he came through their youth system without ever featuring for the first team, so maybe he would be tempted to a return to the Spanish capital.

#2 Emre Can

Emre Can is a wanted man

As he enters his fourth season at Anfield, the question on the edge of every Liverpool’s fan tongue is, will it be his last? Juventus have been long-term admirers of the German International, but it is still not known where Can’s future lies. There is of course, still the possibility, that would no doubt satisfy every ‘Red’ in the World, that he could sign a new contract, however, the clock is well and truly ticking.

Fernandinho was mentioned earlier and I touched on the fact that Guardiola may well trade him in for a younger model and not bother renewing his contract. Emre Can is the perfect man for that job as he is robust, strong in the tackle and he also has an eye for goal amongst many other attributes that make him stand out as arguably the best holding midfielder in the division.

He was taken from his native Germany by then Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers after one impressive season in the Bundesliga, so maybe a Bundesliga return could be on the cards as well. It is not thought that Munich would be looking at him as Corentin Tolisso seems to be Javi Martinez’ understudy, however, there has been some rumblings of Dortmund being interested. Only time will tell, though.

#1 Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez clearly doesn't want to be at Arsenal

There is more chance of me signing a contract at Arsenal than there is of Sanchez renewing his contract before it renews. It is also thought that the Chilean International will be on his way in January, more than likely to Man City, which makes you wonder how many goals City will end up scoring this season.

This is similar to the Ozil situation for Wenger where he definitely won’t want to lose him to a Premier League rival, but in this instance, there seems to be one of two options for Wenger. The first option is that he sells him in January for a knockdown price or, alternatively, keep him for the remainder of the season in the hope he plays a part in getting Arsenal back into the Champions League and lets him go for nothing in the summer. It really is a catch 22 situation because whilst Sanchez has been impressive for the Gunners this season, it is also rather evident that he doesn’t want to be playing football in North London anymore.

One of the biggest factors as to why Sanchez wants to leave Arsenal will, no doubt, be the fact that there isn’t much hope of him winning the most prestigious prize in club football, the UEFA Champions League, whilst he is at Arsenal. There is much more of an opportunity for him to be winning that and the Premier League (that he hasn’t won, either) at Manchester City, which will pain Arsenal fans to admit, but it’s the truth.