Picking a Summer Transfer Window out-of-Contract XI
This slideshow brings you XI players who will be out-of-contract when the summer transfer window swings open in June.
Available to move for free upon the season's end, these players will be huge bargains in summer 2015.
With plenty of excellent names already well into the final six months of their contracts, there are a wealth of options to choose from and—as well as the players covered over the following pages—you will also find a list of honourable mentions.
Anyone you would add to the list? Let us know below!
Honourable Mentions
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Other notable players whose contracts (correct at the time of writing) will end in 2015:
- Neto: Fiorentina's 25-year-old goalkeeper will be out-of-contract in June
- Beto: A Europa League winner with Sevilla in 2013/14, Beto will soon become a free agent
- Carlos Zambrano: Centre-back at Eintracht Frankfurt since 2012
- Andrea Ranocchia: The 27-year-old Inter Milan captain could move on a Bosman this summer
- John Terry: The Chelsea stalwart's contract is set to expire, yet talk of an extension is already in the offing, as reported by Dominic Fifield in the Guardian
- Jon Flanagan: The 22-year-old right-back is said to be in line for a new deal at Liverpool, per James Whaling of the Mirror
- Ignazio Abate: Swapped Torino for AC Milan in 2009
- Maxi Pereira: The 30-year-old has racked up over 300 appearances for Benfica
- Vitali Denisov: Those in need of a bargain-price left-back should take a look at the Lokomotiv Moscow man
- Glen Johnson: 21 appearances (in all competitions) at Liverpool in 2014/15
- Yoann Gourcuff: Olympique Lyonnais' attacking midfielder will be available for nothing in summer 2015
- Michael Carrick: Will the Manchester United man pen a new deal at Old Trafford? The Mirror's John Cross thinks so
- Jeremy Toulalan: The 31-year-old Monaco captain is contracted at Stade Louis II until June
- Stefan Reinartz: In a season rocked by injury, the Bayer Leverkusen defensive midfielder is set to be released on July 1
- Stephane Mbia: Seven goals for Sevilla this season, the Cameroon international will soon be out-of-contract
- Andre Ayew: The nippy Olympique de Marseille winger will attract a number of admirers this summer
- Mathieu Flamini: The former Marseille and AC Milan midfielder could wave goodbye to Arsenal
- Danny: The Zenit St. Petersburg captain has played in every single Champions League game and all-but-one Premier Liga fixture this term
- Alberto Aquilani: Will see his Fiorentina deal expire this summer
- Giampaolo Pazzini: At AC Milan since 2012, he has scored 21 goals for the Rossoneri
- Emmanuel Adebayor: Out of contract with Tottenham Hotspur this summer
- Dimitar Berbatov: Nine goals in 30 games for the 34-year-old Monaco striker this season
GK: Sergio Romero
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Sampdoria goalkeeper Sergio Romero has found regular first-team football difficult to come by at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, where Emiliano Viviano is Sinisa Mihajlovic's No. 1.
However the 28-year-old should not be short of suitors when his contract runs out in June.
Linked with Liverpool by TMW (h/t The Telegraph) during the winter transfer window, the Argentina international—who played every minute of every game en route to La Albiceleste's World Cup Final against Germany—has 10 Serie A outings to his name this term.
He spent last season on loan with Monaco, where he made just nine appearances (in all competitions) for the French side.
In need of game time, Romero would be an attractive prospect for a number of top sides across Europe.
DF: Dani Alves
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Out of contract in June, 31-year-old Dani Alves has racked up over 300 appearances (in all competitions) for Barcelona, since swapping Sevilla for Camp Nou in 2008.
In that time, the Brazilian has amassed an enviable haul of honours, including four La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Rey trophies, among others.
Already a regular fixture in the rumour mill, Alves recently hit out at the media on his Instagram account, following speculation linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, as seen on Goal.
Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with the right-back in recent months, as reported by the Sun on Sunday (h/t Joe Short in the Express).
Alves may lack some of the speed that once defined his play for club and country, and his best years are admittedly behind him. However, he is highly experienced, has been a regular starter for Barca this term and, no matter his age, he will make an incredibly desirable target when the transfer window reopens.
DF: Ron Vlaar
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Linked with a variety of clubs last summer, following his impressive run at the 2014 World Cup, Ron Vlaar may leave Aston Villa for nothing when his contract runs out.
As one of the best defenders on show in Brazil, the former AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord defender was said to be on Southampton's wish list, as reported by James Nursey in the Mirror, as well as Manchester United's, as seen on ESPNFC.
A knee injury has seen the 30-year-old's season curtailed by injury, appearing in just 13 Premier League games in 2014/15.
The Daily Mail's Laurie Whitwell recently reported that Villa will struggle to keep hold of their team captain this summer:
"Tim Sherwood faces a difficult early task as Aston Villa manager in trying to convince captain Ron Vlaar to stay after it emerged the Dutch international has no plans to sign a new contract at the club.
Vlaar, on around £40,000 per week, is out of contact at the end of this season and is understood to have told Villa of his intention to explore his options.
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Vlaar has made 79 appearances for Villa, since signing for the side in 2012.
DF: Christopher Samba
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Tainted by the £100,000-a-week wages that he received during a dismal spell with Queens Park Rangers in 2013, Christopher Samba's stock has improved since joining Dynamo Moscow.
The centre-back made just 10 Premier League performances for QPR before being sold back to Anzhi Makhachkala and was moved on again just one month later to Arena Khimki.
In his time at the Russian Premier League side, Samba has turned in 37 performances (in all competitions).
This term, he has played in 10 Europa League games, scoring two goals and making an assist in the first four outings of the 2014/15 competition—remaining unbeaten in all-but-one game.
In the league, he has netted a further three goals and has been a regular fixture and vice-captain in Stanislav Cherchesov's side, racking up 14 appearances out of a possible 18 (two of these fixtures were missed due to a ban from the Russian Football Union, as seen on BBC Sport).
Out of contract in June, don't be surprised to see the 30-year-old's name cropping up in transfer gossip very soon.
DM: Nigel de Jong
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Out of contract in the summer, Nigel de Jong could be a huge bargain-signing for a number of top European sides, should he choose to depart AC Milan.
The 30-year-old defensive midfielder signed for the Rossoneri in 2012 and has been one of the side's brightest and most consistent performers during a truly inconsistent few years at San Siro.
In 2014, talk of a new deal was in the offing with reports in Italy (h/t Anthony Chapman in the Express) suggesting that De Jong was keen on extending his contract at Milan.
Recently, however, Italian sports website Calcio Mercato (h/t Simon Rice in The Independent) suggested De Jong will be signing for Manchester United. As Rice writes, "It's reported that the 30-year-old Netherlands international has shunned a move to Ajax and has already opened pre-contract talks at Old Trafford."
Formerly of Ajax, Hamburg and Manchester City, De Jong still has plenty to offer at the highest level and now, it seems, Juventus are also keen, according to Calcionews24.com (h/t Joe Short in the Express).
CM: Sami Khedira
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Upon the season's end, Sami Khedira will become a free agent. What a steal the World Cup winner will be.
With just one 90-minute performance under his belt in La Liga this term, the midfielder has recently struggled for consistent playing time at Real Madrid. This is due to a fall down the pecking order, coupled with a long list of injuries that have plagued Khedira's career over the last year.
Despite the claims of former Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer that, "In his current physical shape Khedira would not help any team forward," as told to Sky (h/t Jonny Singer in the Daily Mail), when fit, the Germany international is one of the best players in his position in world football and, at 27, should have years ahead of him in the game.
Contrasting stories have come out of the Bernabeu, with manager Carlo Ancelotti insisting Khedira would stay when discussing his future last summer, as reported by Dan Lucas in the Guardian.
In December, it seemed that Khedira hinted that he'd be happy to sign a new deal with Los Blancos, according to Stuttgarter Nachrichten (h/t Joe Ridge in the Daily Mail).
However, the speculation that has accompanied Khedira for much of the last 12 months has again resurfaced of late, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Schalke all linked with his name, per Paul Gorst of the Mirror.
RM: James Milner
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There will be a long line of suitors waiting to snap up James Milner when his contract runs out in June.
At Manchester City since 2010, the versatile midfielder can do it all. This season alone, manager Manuel Pellegrini has fielded him in a number of midfield positions and even, on occasion, as a striker in the City XI.
As Pellegrini told the Daily Mail's Pete Jenson this week, "It would be very difficult to find a more complete player than Milner. There are players who are better technically. There are quicker players. There are players who head the ball better. But show me a player who does all the things that Milner does well and there isn't one."
Milner has made 36 appearances (in all competitions) for City this season, scoring six and setting up eight.
In February, it was reported—amid interest from Liverpool and Arsenal—that the 29-year-old was ready to resume contract talks at the Etihad, per Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail.
However, in March, the Guardian's Jamie Jackson reported that Milner is considering a move abroad in the summer, with "the midfielder holding initial talks with Milan, Roma and Internazionale, plus two clubs in Spain."
LW: Yevhen Konoplyanka
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Long linked with a move away from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Yevhen Konoplyanka is certain to be a big name in the rumour mill this summer, as the transfer window and the end of his contract approach.
The Ukraine international came up through the ranks at Dnipro and is close to making 200 appearances for the club.
This season, he has scored five goals and set up a further two in the Ukrainian Premier Liga and has been an impressive, regular starter for Myron Markevych's side in the Europa League, where he has bagged two assists and turned in seven 90-minute performances this term.
Last summer, it was said that Roma, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United were all keen on securing his services, according to Alex Harris of the Express.
Described in January as being "on the verge of a move to Roma" on ESPNFC, it will be interesting to see where the exciting winger ends up this summer.
CF: Danny Ings
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Last term's Championship Player of the Year, Danny Ings will soon be out of contract with Burnley, following four years with the club.
The 22-year-old has scored nine goals in the Premier League this season, his first campaign in the division. In 2013/14, Ings netted 26 in all competitions.
The Clarets had to fend off interest for their in-demand forward during the winter, following his impressive form in the top flight, with the Mirror describing the England under-21 international as the "most sought after striker in the January transfer window."
A number of clubs have already been linked with his name, his soon-to-be status as a free agent causing all manner of rumours. The Daily Mail's Adam Shergold suggests Real Sociedad could be an option, with Liverpool also said to be keen.
Elsewhere, the Daily Star's Paul Hetherington reckons that a move to Manchester United could be on the cards, with Tottenham, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester City also name-checked.
Young, English, a potent goalscorer and with less than six months remaining on his contract, Ings will be one of the most talked-about players this summer.
CF: Andre-Pierre Gignac
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Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac will be out of contract in June.
As Ligue 1's second-highest top scorer this season (correct at time of writing), he won't be short of offers.
The 29-year-old signed for L'OM in 2010, and in that time, he has turned in 178 appearances—scoring 72 goals (in all competitions).
Recalled by France for Euro 2016 friendlies against Portugal, Armenia, Albania and Sweden in 2014, Gignac has been involved in every Ligue 1 game for Marcelo Bielsa's side this term and has already equalled last season's personal best of 16 league goals.
In December he told Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t SkySports.com) "I think I will leave at the end of the season. I want to know if Bielsa will stay, but I want a big challenge. I will consider all proposals carefully."
Gignac is wanted by both Liverpool and Arsenal, according to Bruce Archer in the Express.
CF: Luiz Adriano
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Luiz Adriano's time at Shakhtar Donetsk could soon come to an end, if his current deal is not extended beyond December 2015.
The 27-year-old is in a rich vein of form this term, a campaign in which we have seen him become the first player to score a hat-trick in consecutive matches in the Champions League, against BATE Borisov both home and away.
In total, the Brazilian netted nine goals in seven Champions League games in 2014/15, adding a further three assists. In the Ukrainian Premier Liga, he has hit five goals and five assists across 15 games.
The Porto Alegre-born player has racked up over 250 appearances for "Hirnyky" since signing for the side in 2007, and in October, he won his first-ever senior call up to represent Brazil, in friendlies against Turkey and Austria.
During the 2014 winter transfer window, it emerged that Adriano wanted to sign for Roma, with the striker telling Sky Sports Italia (h/t Goal):
"We know that the two clubs failed to reach an agreement and that's why I stayed here. Roma are a team that play good football. They played in the Champions League this season and are still fighting to win the Scudetto. We're talking about a club with a great history. It certainly would have pleased me to have been able to wear the Giallorossi shirt.
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Elsewhere, Juventus (Juve links coming from Tuttosport), Liverpool and Arsenal have also been linked with the striker, as reported by Joe Short in the Express.
Adriano will be free to speak with other clubs from June 2015 onwards.
All player and contract information comes from Transfermarkt.com, with further player statistics sourced on ESPNFC.com, unless stated otherwise.
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