With the Winter Transfer Market in Europe officially open, here are the most talked about players whose contract is up in 6 months.
The new year has arrived and with it, the opening of the Winter Transfer Market. Many clubs will look to strengthen their squad for the latter half of the season while also trying to offload some players. However, many clubs will be eyeing to sign players for absolutely no cost in the next transfer window, as quite a few players will be out of contract by the end of the season. Here’s a look at some of them.
1. Kylian Mbappe [Paris Saint-Germain]
Current Value: €160.00m
The Paris Saint-Germain talisman is out of contract in June 2022 and looks set to leave Paris at the end of this season. The 2018 World Cup winner has been heavily linked with Real Madrid over the last few years owing to his strong idolization of Cristiano Ronaldo while he was a boy and also, Madrid’s need to have a proper successor of Ronaldo who left the club in 2018.
Reports emerged last summer that Real Madrid offered nearly 100 million for the signature of Mbappe, but the offer was turned down by PSG as they hoped to renew him soon. With time running out and Mbappe officially free to sign for the club he will face next in the Champions League, maybe in retrospect PSG would have been better off taking the money. But it’s not like they ever needed the money anyways..
2. Ousmane Dembele [F.C Barcelona]
Current Value: €30.00m
The once highly rated ambidextrous (or ambipedal) French winger has seen his market value drop significantly since Barcelona bought him off Borussia Dortmund and made him their most expensive signing at the time. Even though he was marred largely by injuries and inconsistency, many clubs will be more than happy to have his signature come following summer despite Barcelona’s attempts to keep him at the club.
Bought in as a replacement following the departure of Neymar, Dembele has missed over 100 games in the last five seasons due to his poor injury record. Recent reports emerged of him demanding a highly unreasonable new contract amidst Barcelona’s financial crisis, a demand that Barcelona won’t meet. Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United are a few possible destinations for Dembele, though there will soon be other clubs swirling around him like piranhas to capture his signature.
3. Paulo Dybala [Juventus]
Current Value: €50.00m
Once hailed as Lionel Messi’s true spiritual successor in the Argentina national team and nicknamed La Joya (The Jewel) by fans, Paulo Dybala saw his game slightly sidelined following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and a failure to warrant regular National Team callups. Despite that, Dybala has recently found form again and Juventus would like to tie him down to a contract soon as many Premier League clubs are reportedly going to be circling around him trying to add him to their roster.
4. Andreas Christensen [Chelsea]
Current Value: €35.00m
Chelsea seem to have contracts running out for two of their crucial center-backs as both Christensen and Antonio Rudiger seem likely to leave the club next summer for free.
Christensen has been linked with Barcelona (as has Rudiger) as the Spanish Giants aim to strengthen their leaky defense just like they did by signing Eric Garcia on a free last summer.
5. Paul Pogba [Manchester United]
Current value: €55.00m
Once the world’s most expensive player and the third Frenchman on this list, Paul Pogba hasn’t really lit up the Premier League like the United faithful expected him to. A Manchester United side that needed the qualities of someone like Pogba week in week out never really got to experience the potential that his signing initially promised.
The next summer could see Pogba very well return to his beloved Juventus, or explore new horizons like Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. Whether he remains at United is still up for debate, as United would need to start with a clean slate and show Pogba a strong sporting project with a new manager to tie him down to the club.
6. Lorenzo Insigne [S.S.C Napoli]
Current Value: €35.00m
After tasting European glory with Italy last summer, the Napoli captain will run out of contract in June 2022, potentially ending his lifelong association with the club.
There are multiple clubs in Europe that could use a prolific forward like Insigne in their squad, but as of writing this, rumors have emerged that he has decided to call it a day in Europe and instead go play in the Major League Soccer in the U.S, penning a deal with Toronto FC that would run till 2027. A little too early to be heading to the MLS for a player of his quality, seeing that he would still make the Starting XI for many of Europe’s big clubs.
Which of these transfers do you think are actually going to happen and who do you think will remain firm at their clubs?
Transfer values taken from — www.transfermarkt.com
