Footballers are bound by contracts by clubs but nowadays, a free agent in football are in great demand given the current economic scenario. A free agent in football is one who has been released by a club or his contract expires, and he decides not to renew his stay and starts to search for another club.
Generally, in the summer transfer window or in the January transfer window a contracted player can sign for a new club but when it comes to free agents, they can sign a pre-contract with other clubs in January making their way to a new destination.
All the major football leagues follow these rules as every season a number of players become free agents. Clubs don’t have to pay any transfer fees while signing them and free agents tend to negotiate a big transfer fee as they are expected to join the club on a free transfer.
Sometimes the money becomes a crucial part as an agent also has to take his commission into count in the pay package.
PSG pulled the biggest signing of all time as they roped in both Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid and Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer. Both the players received a huge sign-on bonus and are among the highest paid players in the world right now.
Real Madrid too snapped up versatile defender David Alaba from Bayern Munich who can play in a number of positions. The Austrian international has already lifted the La Liga title in his maiden season in Spain and will face Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Man City midfielder Fernandinho is also set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of this season as he is searching for a new challenge in his country.
James Milner too signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2015 and since then has been a trusted soldier of the club. He has also lifted the Champions League and Premier League during his tenure at Anfield.
AC Milan are on the verge of claiming the Serie-A title after a wait of 11 years but they are set to lose their prized asset Franck Kessie who could be on his way out from the club.
Crystal Palace have been quite impressive in the Premier League but they do have a number of players whose contract are set to end this summer and they haven’t been offered a new deal. West Ham too are on the verge of losing their number one shot stopper Lukasz Fabianski as his current contract runs out after the end of the current season.
Free Agent football: Top 5 list
| Player | Age | Club |
| Paul Pogba | 29 | Manchester United |
| Paulo Dybala | 28 | Juventus |
| Ousmane Dembele | 24 | FC Barcelona |
| Antonio Rudiger | 29 | Chelsea |
| Kylian Mbappe | 23 | Paris Saint Germain |
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba was a product of the famed Manchester United but due to very little game time, he left the club in 2012 and rejoined the club in 2016 from Juventus. His United career hasn’t been that promising as he hasn’t been that consistent in United colours.
He has won one League Cup and one Europa League during his six year tenure and is set to leave the club this summer.
A number of clubs including Manchester City and Paris Sant Germain are reportedly vying for his service.
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala arrived from Palermo in 2015 and since then has been a pivotal part of the Juventus team. The Italian club won six back to back Serie A titles from the 2015-16 season to 2019-20 and Dybala played a very crucial role in most of them.
The Argentine forward’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the current season and he is unlikely to extend his contract beyond this summer. Manchester United have been in pursuit of the player and it remains to be seen whether they renew their interest in the player.
Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele arrived in Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund as the Spanish giants reportedly paid a whopping £135.5m to acquire his service. But persistent injury problems have hurt his growth and the winger has shown flashes of brilliance in patches.
Despite his limited game time the 24 year old has been involved in 12 goals in 17 matches in the La Liga so far. There have been numerous reports that the club wants to extend his current contract as manager Xavi is happy with his progress at the Catalan club.
Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger is one of the most demanding amongst the out of contract players. The German international’s current club Chelsea is under various sanctions from the UK government and a number of players including Rudiger are likely to leave Stamford Bridge.
Rudiger arrived from AS Roma in 2017 to London and has emerged as one of the best defenders in the world. His quality has skyrocketed and he has stood like a rock in the Blues backline.
The former VfB Stuttgart player has reportedly been in contact with Real Madrid for the past few weeks and negotiations are being done over a long term contract. If everything goes in the right direction he could be seen in the white jersey next season.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has been one of the generational talents the world football has ever seen. The player remains a part of the most extraordinary transfer as Paris saint Germain reportedly splashed a staggering 180 million Euros in 2018 as they acquired his service from Monaco.
At this tender age Mbappe already has one World Cup in his tally which speaks volumes about his talent. The 23 year old has scored 24 goals in the ongoing season and has assisted another 16 and PSG are on its way to another Ligue 1 title as it stands.
There have been approaches from a number of clubs including Real Madrid and the youngster is yet to decide his future course of action.
FAQs
Who are the Free Agent football players in 2022?
The free agent footballers in 2022 are Andrea Belotti of Torino, Jesse Lingard of Man Utd, Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal, Christian Eriksen of Brentford, Edinson Cavani of Man Utd
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