13 Players Whose Contracts Are Winding Down with Most to Prove in 2015
Players in the final six months of their contracts are currently free to talk to other clubs, but who has it all to prove to ensure they get a move or a new deal before the season's end?
Over the following slides, we look at 13 examples of players who need to impress over the course of the 2014/15 campaign.
Why do they need to do this? Perhaps, like Barcelona’s Dani Alves and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, age or injuries are against them. Maybe they are youngsters such as Alexandre Pato and Leandro Damiao who need to get back on track. Or, as found in the cases of Sebastian Giovinco and Yoann Gourcuff, they are seeking first-team opportunities and consistent good form.
You’ll find all these players and more over the following slides, arranged from No. 13 to No. 1 in an order that we feel best reflects who has the most to prove.
All contract information and performance data comes from Transfermarkt.com.
13. Glen Johnson, Liverpool
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In his five-and-a-half years on Merseyside, Glen Johnson has made 187 appearances for Liverpool.
With his contract coming to an end in the summer, will the 30-year-old convince the Reds to hand him a new deal?
Over the summer, Johnson was offered a one-year extension at Anfield; however, it was reported that the defender wanted a new contract that would run beyond 2016, per Andy Hunter in the Guardian.
"I have enjoyed the majority of the six years; I've had some good times and some bad times, but if I haven’t got a contract then I can't stay," Johnson was quoted as saying on NBCSports.com. "I want to play for a club that wants me—I am not going to go crawling to anybody. The club know where I am and they know the situation."
Dropped by England manager Roy Hodgson, who said Johnson was not "at his best form" on ESPN.co.uk, the former West Ham United, Chelsea and Portsmouth man has been forced onto the sidelines through injury for 14 of Liverpool's games (in all competitions) this season.
As the summer transfer window approaches, he will be keen to impress, whether it's for an Anfield stay, an England recall or a move elsewhere.
12. Christopher Samba, Dynamo Moscow
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Christopher Samba will always be remembered for the £12.5 million and £100,000-a-week that Queens Park Rangers paid for his services in 2013.
Reflecting on the sale of his player to QPR, Anzhi Makhachkala director German Tkachenko later told Russian news site www.sports.ru (h/t the Guardian) that, "In my view QPR have lost their minds."
Just 10 games and one relegation (from the Premier League) later, Samba was sold back to Anzhi. After a matter of weeks he was on the move again, this time to Dynamo Moscow.
Last season, the centre-back made just 10 appearances in the Russian Premier League with Stanislav Cherchesov's side, but this term he has played a full 90 minutes in all but one Europa League tie, where Dynamo remain unbeaten in 2014/15.
On the domestic front, Samba has appeared in 13 of a possible 17 games, and (in all competitions) Dynamo have been beaten only three times with him in the side. Samba has also scored five and set up one goal this season.
The 30-year-old has a contract that runs at Arena Khimki until summer 2015. Between now and then he might just try to prove that he is a much better player than his time with QPR suggested.
11. Andre-Pierre Gignac, Olympique Marseille
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An exit from Stade Velodrome looks fairly certain for Andre-Pierre Gignac at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
The striker, who is currently second in Ligue 1's top scorer charts behind Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette, told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports) last month, "I think I will leave at the end of the season. I want to know if (coach Marcelo) Bielsa will stay, but I want a big challenge. I will consider all proposals carefully."
The 29-year-old, who has 12 goals in 20 league appearances so far this term, will be keen to maintain his form throughout, to attract potential buyers in the summer.
He needs just five more Ligue 1 goals to better his season-best of 16, scored across 35 appearances for Olympique Marseille in 2013/14.
After signing for L'OM from Toulouse in 2010, Gignac registered just 10 league goals in 54 games across his first two campaigns and will be eager to show that his current form is here to stay.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Dynamo Moscow are all interested in the Frenchman, according to Ben Jefferson in the Express. In the Sky Sports article above, Gignac is said to be keen on a move to Inter Milan.
10. Sylvain Distin, Everton
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At the age of 37, Sylvain Distin's next club could possibly be his last and, considering Everton's current defensive woes, the veteran centre-back may have a lot to prove before the season is out.
With a 6-3 loss to Chelsea and a 3-0 League Cup defeat against Swansea City being personal low points for Distin, the Toffees defender has found his first-team chances limited this term under Roberto Martinez—appearing in just four of his side's opening 10 Premier League fixtures, with 13 goals conceded in these ties.
Injuries in Martinez's squad saw Distin recalled to partner Phil Jagielka over the winter months where, despite bright results against Lille and Wolfsburg in the Europa League, eight Premier League fixtures yielded just two wins and Everton conceded a further 13 goals.
Yet to play in 2015, Distin is part of a Goodison Park side with the worst defensive record in the top flight this term. He and his side must improve.
Out of contract on June 30, 2015, Distin recently told the Daily Star's Chris McKenna that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon.
9. Younes Kaboul, Tottenham Hotspur
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After playing every minute of Tottenham Hotspur's opening 11 games in the Premier League this season, Younes Kaboul has started the slow and steady slip down the White Hart Lane pecking order.
The 29-year-old, who started the season as Mauricio Pochettino's club captain, has now been on the sidelines for four games. For a further six fixtures, he has not even made the squad.
As Pochettino told the Mirror's Neil McLeman:
"It's a football decision. No other explanation. When you decide to pick the starting XI it's not because he's captain or his name is different from another. You pick the player because it's your job and it's my decision.
The captain means that you are a leader but because you are a captain you are not sure of starting XI.
"
With less than six months remaining on his current deal and with January interest from Besiktas reportedly batted away by Spurs, per Jamie Anderson in the Express, Kaboul will have to leave for pastures new or prove that he can claim his place and his captaincy back in Pochettino's XI.
8. Dani Alves, Barcelona
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All the signs indicate that Dani Alves will be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season when his current contract runs out.
In an interview with O Globo (h/t ESPN.co.uk) Alves recently said, "I am moving to England next year. I am going to play in the cradle of football. This will be my last year at Barcelona."
In order to make sure that the 31-year-old goes to the biggest club possible—or who knows, even stay at Camp Nou—he will want to prove not only his fitness but also that he can still cut it at the highest level.
For the former, it appears that the Brazilian is already engaging in some personal PR—posting videos of himself weight training during the November international break, per Kieren Gill in the Daily Mail.
In the current season, Alves has already demonstrated that Barca still need him. He was in the starting XI for five of his side's Champions League ties in Group F and has also played 14 times in La Liga, getting two assists in both competitions.
Alves is past his prime, we all know that, but the competitive two-time Champions League winner will be desperate to prove he still has something to offer in the 2015/16 season and beyond.
7. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal
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Like fellow Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta finds himself on the "wrong" side of 30 and within six months of the end of his contract at the Emirates.
Unlike Flamini, Arteta has been struggling with fitness, with muscle strains and calf problems keeping him on the sidelines for 13 Premier League games this term.
When fit, the Spaniard has captained Arsene Wenger's side—appearing in 12 games (in all competitions) in 2014/15.
Arteta also started last season with several injuries but went on to play an integral role for the Gunners, where he made 43 appearances in league and cup competition, including captaining the side to their FA Cup Final win against Hull City.
With age and injuries against him, Arsenal may not opt to extend his current deal. But if he proves his worth in 2015, there may be a number of good sides willing to sign Arteta in the summer.
6. Leandro Damiao, Santos (on Loan at Cruzeiro)
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In 2011, Leandro Damiao was tipped to be Ronaldo's successor as the next great Brazilian striker in world football, by none other than O Fenomeno himself, as seen on ESPN Brazil (h/t Goal).
The following year, amid much gossip linking the youngster with a move to Europe, as seen on ESPNFC.com, Damiao impressed at the 2012 Olympics, where he finished as the tournament's top scorer.
Despite the rumours linking him with a move away from the Brasileirao, Damiao remained in the division when he swapped Internacional for Santos in December 2013, following a season in which he scored just five goals for the Porto Alegre club.
After joining Santos on a five-year deal, things didn't quite work out for the striker. In 26 games, he scored just six times and attracted plenty of criticism and a six-game ban for appearing to pull his own shirt during a game against Criciuma, in order to deceive the match referee. This was an act that the Guardian described as "shameful."
The 25-year-old has not played for Brazil since June 2013 and was sent out on loan in January 2015 to Cruzeiro.
Damiao, who was once regarded so highly, has much to do to convince us again of his talents. His contract will wind down in December 2015.
5. Anderson, Manchester United
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It's hard to think of many players who need to prove themselves more than Manchester United's Anderson.
With less than six months remaining on his current deal, it has been reported that Louis van Gaal's side have considered cancelling the midfielder's contract if they can't find a buyer for him in the January transfer window, per Mark Ogden of The Telegraph.
The 26-year-old, who signed for United from FC Porto in 2007, has struggled with fitness at many points in his United career. He has played just 20 minutes of football this season under Van Gaal, who was scathing about the Brazilian in November. As he told Jamie Anderson in the Express:
"I can't pick him now because you have to be fit. For the first three months the culture of a trainer is fitness. That is the smallest thing you can demand. Professional league fitness.
Fitness is the most important thing. First you have to show your fitness. Not for just one day but for several weeks.
"
Elsewhere, James Robson claims in the Manchester Evening News, that Anderson has vowed to fight for his future at Old Trafford.
There is a lot of work to do for the player who made just seven appearances in Serie A when on loan at Fiorentina last season. Short on form and with a high salary of £60,000 a week, his suitors are not many, and a move back to Brazil may be the eventual outcome.
It's up to the player once touted as Paul Scholes' successor to try to prove us wrong.
4. Sebastian Giovinco, Juventus
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Sebastian Giovinco has played just seven minutes of Champions League football this season. In Serie A it's a similar story, where the 27-year-old has clocked up just 184 minutes across six games in 2014/15.
It's not an easy position to be in, with Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata all ahead of Giovinco in the Juventus pecking order.
In October, with contract talks stalling, the striker's agent Andrea D'Amico told SportItalia (h/t FourFourTwo): "I don't understand how [CEO Beppe] Marotta and Juve could decide to lose a fantastic player who is just 27 years old like Giovinco for zero euros. They paid all those millions, and he has always demonstrated his great class whenever played."
Elsewhere, Giovinco told Rai Sport (h/t FourFourTwo): "I have not resigned myself to always be a substitute, I have much to evaluate. I will always give my all and at the end of the season we will look at what to do and whether I will continue with Juve—I hope to."
Free to speak to other clubs throughout January, the Turin-born player will be eager to prove his worth to Massimiliano Allegri this season or to show the Italian side what they are missing, should he opt to sign for someone else.
Either way, it's going to be a big year for the Juve youth product.
3. Alexandre Pato, Corinthians (on Loan at Sao Paulo)
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Alexandre Pato's Sao Paulo loan deal will run out in December 2015.
In that time, will he do enough to demonstrate he still has what it takes to join another big European side and/or earn a recall to international duty with Dunga's Brazil?
In his first full campaign at AC Milan, things went well—the Brazilian wonderkid finishing 2008/09 as the Rossoneri's second-highest scorer behind Kaka, with 15 goals in 36 games.
After being named Serie A Young Player of the Year, Pato was linked with a £50 million move to join Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, as reported by Tom Sheen in The Independent.
Yet as injuries started to mount, Pato's appearances and influence started to dwindle at San Siro, falling season on season until he registered just one goal in 11 Serie A appearances in 2011/12.
In January 2013, following a total of 150 performances (in all competitions) for Milan, Pato returned to Brazil to join Corinthians where, after less than a full term with Timao, he was sent to Sao Paulo on loan.
With 29 games in the Brasileirao for Sao Paulo last season, it looks like the striker's injury issues have improved, with nine goals and five assists indicative of an upturn in his performances.
Described by Brazilian football journalist Alexandre Abreu Gontijo on Selecao-Brasileira.org as being in "exuberant form" in September, Pato—who did not make Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man World Cup squad in 2014—has a long way to go.
It's hard to believe that he is still only 25, but age is on Pato's side.
2. Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon
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When Yoann Gourcuff signed for Lyon in summer 2010, he was a 24-year-old being hailed as "the next Zinedine Zidane" and had been singled out as "the most talented player of his generation" by David Ginola on Sport.co.uk.
In his first season at Stade de Gerland, the attacking midfielder made 24 appearances in Ligue 1, not to mention seven appearances in the Champions League and three European Qualifiers—and three goals—among his outings for France.
In 2011/12, injuries started to mount, and Gourcuff saw his Ligue 1 exposure reduced to just 13 games. The next two campaigns followed in a similar manner as injuries continued to plague the Frenchman, who clocked up just 36 league games (28 starts) across 2012/13 and 2013/14.
After only 73 Ligue 1 outings in total for Lyon, Gourcuff agreed to take a pay cut last September. As reported on ESPNFC.com at the time, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said:
"Since he's been at Lyon, he's had a certain number of difficulties. To not be unfair to him, you have to say most of his injuries have been traumatic ones. The fact they have come one after the other means that each time we believed he would be ready to play, he had another problem. I have often spoken to Yoann, with his lawyer, to tell him that something had to come from him. We found the solution to say: 'As I still haven't given what OL expected, I take the initiative to reduce my salary.'
"
Now into the final six months of his contract and with eight games under his belt out of a possible 20 in Ligue 1, the 28-year-old has everything to prove and everything to gain this season.
This goal, scored against Marseille in October, was the perfect way to start.
1. Emmanuel Adebayor, Tottenham Hotspur
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Normally with the end of a contract looming, we see the best of Emmanuel Adebayor.
This season, in his 10 top-flight appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, the striker has scored on just two occasions. We've had little opportunity to see him in action beyond that, due to a six-game absence when the striker returned to Togo for personal reasons, as reported by BBC Sport, and the emergence of a certain Harry Kane.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told the Guardian last month that the 30-year-old needs to improve before he's back in the team:
"He's available. After, we will see if I pick him or not. I'm happy with Ade and how he's been training. Maybe he’s not 100 percent, but he's not far away.
He's getting better. He needs training, he needs to improve, especially his physical condition, but he's getting better.
"
As reported by Tom Collomosse in the London Evening Standard, Adebayor has already been linked with a move to Parma in the January transfer window, although the Serie A side are said to be discouraged by his wage demands of £100,000 a week.
Out of form and out of practice, in 2015 Adebayor is going to have to regain his match fitness, get minutes on the pitch and remind us why he has the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid on his CV.
All contract information and performance data comes from Transfermarkt.com.
