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The best players who are out of contract in the summer of 2022

We are already in February and that means that all players whose contracts expire at the end of the season are now allowed to talk to other clubs about signing on a free transfer in the summer. Indeed, some of the best players in the world are out of contract in the summer of 2022. Names like Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Marcelo Brozovic, Frank Kessie, Antonio Rudiger, Paulo Dybala and Ousmane Dembele are among the top stars with expiring contracts.

The young Frenchman is reportedly chasing a dream move to Real Madrid, but we used two other driving forces to divide the this year’s free agents into two teams. In the first there will be the ones who are mainly chasing a better financial package. In the other selection will be players who are in search of more playing time in order to revive a fading career or to try to improve after not given a fair chance at their current clubs.

We came up with two potential reasons for the players wanting to change environment and they are either financial or personal. We divided the best players with expiring contracts this summer into two teams as per whether they seek better financial package or more game time (personal change).

The first team will consist of players that will chase more money:

  1. Thomas Fotaq Strakosha
    • Age:26
    • Country:Albania
    • Team:S.S. Lazio
    • Position:Goalkeeper
    • Instagram account:thomas_strakosha

      Thomas Fotaq Strakosha was born on the 19th of March 1995 in Greece. Currently he is a player of the italian giants Lazio and also plays in the Albanian national team. He joined Lazio when he was only 17 years of age where he has 191 matches in which he has 57 clean sheets. Currently it’s rumoured that English teams like Newcastle and Watford are in the market for the Albanian shotstopper, but there is nothing official so far.

    • Antonio Rudiger
      • Age:28
      • Country:Germany
      • Team:Chelsea
      • Position:Defender
      • Instagram account:toniruediger

        Antonio Rudiger was born on the 3rd of March 1993 in Germany. Currently he plays in english side Chelsea and in the Germany national team. He joined Chelsea back in 2017 from Italian Roma and has 122 apps for the team and has scored 8 goals throughout those. Currently it’s being rumoured that his most likely next team is going to be Real Madrid.

      • James Tarkowski
        • Age:29
        • Country:United Kingdom
        • Team:Burnley
        • Position:Defender
        • Instagram account:tarky19

          James Tarkowski is 29 years old and his current team is Burnley where he has 180 appearances from 2016 when he joined the club until the present moment. His position is Centre-back. In those games the player has scored 7 goals and has 47 clean sheets. Newscastle are currently monitoring the performances by the player as they intend to get him on a free transfer in the summer.

        • Matthias Ginter
          • Age:28
          • Country:Germany
          • Team:Borussia Monchengladbach
          • Position:Defender
          • Instagram account:matzeginter28

            Matthias Ginter was born on the 19th of January 1994 and currently is a player of Borussia Monchengladbach and plays in the German national team. His best position is Centre-back. He has 135 appearances for Borussia Monchengladbach since 2017 when he was signed from Borussia Dortmund. In those games he has scored 10 goals. The player is being monitored by Bayern Munich at the moment.

          • Noussair Mazraoui
            • Age:24
            • Country:Morocco
            • Team:Ajax
            • Position:Defender
            • Instagram account:nousmaz97

              Noussair Mazraoui is a 24 years old talented Right-back that currently is a player of Ajax where he has 84 matches and 6 goals. The player was promoted from Ajax’s second team in 2018 and since then he is a regular starter in The Moroccan national team. Reliable sources say that the player is pushing for a free transfer to Barcelona in the summer.

            • Paul Pogba
              • Age:28
              • Country:France
              • Team:Manchester United F.C.
              • Position:Midfielder
              • Instagram account:paulpogba

                Paul Pogba is a centre-midfielder who plays for Manchester United and the French national team. He is currently 28 years old. Since rejoining Manchester United from Juventus back in 2016 he has recorded 143 appearances for the club and has scored 28 goals.

              • Franck Kessie
                • Age:25
                • Country:Côte d'Ivoire
                • Team:A.C. Milan
                • Position:Midfielder
                • Instagram account:franckkessie

                  Franck Kessie was born on the 19th of December 1996 and is a defensive midfielder that currently plays for AC Milan. The player represents Ivory coast’s national team. Since joining AC Milan from Atalanta back in 2019 the player has 88 games and has scored 22 goals. It’s rumoured that Barcelona want to sign him in the summer as a free agent.

                • Marcelo Brozović
                  • Age:29
                  • Country:Croatia
                  • Team:Inter Milan
                  • Position:Midfielder
                  • Instagram account:marcelo_brozovic

                    Marcelo Brozović is a 29 years old Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Croatia national team. Since his arrival from Dinamo Zagreb back in 2015 he has 274 appearances and has scored 24 goals.

                  • Ousmanne Dembele
                    • Age:24
                    • Country:France
                    • Team:Barcelona
                    • Position:Midfielder
                    • Instagram account:o.dembele7

                      Ousmanne Dembele is a 24 years old right winger that currently plays for the Spanish giants Barcelona. The player is also a regular starter in the French national team and has won a world cup with them. Dembele has played only 87 games for Barcelona since he joined in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund and has scored only 18 goals in those.

                    • Paulo Dybala
                      • Age:28
                      • Country:Argentina
                      • Team:Juventus
                      • Position:Forward
                      • Instagram account:paulodybala

                        Paulo Dybala is a attacking midfielder that currently plays for Juventus. The player was born in Argentina on the 15th of November 1993. He joined Juventus back in 2015 from Palermo and has played 197 games for The Old Lady in which he has scored 79 goals. Liverpool and Manchester United are looking at the posibilities of signing the player as a free agent in the summer.

                      • Andrea Belotti
                        • Age:28
                        • Country:Italy
                        • Team:Torino
                        • Position:Forward
                        • Instagram account:gallobelotti

                          Andrea Belotti is a striker and captain of Serie A club Torino. He was born on the 20th of December 1993. He signed for Torino back in 2015 from Palermo and has recorded 94 goals in 216 apps for the team. Rumours are that Juventus are looking for a swoop of the striker in the summer.

                        • Todd Cantwell
                          substitute
                          • Age:23
                          • Country:United Kingdom
                          • Team:A.F.C. Bournemouth
                          • Position:Midfielder
                          • Instagram account:toddcantwell

                            Todd Cantwell is probably the least known player on the list. He was born on the 27th of February 1998 in England and currently plays for Norwich as a left midfielder and has recorded 102 matches for the team so far and in those he has managed to score 13 goals. The player wants a move away from the club as most likely next year they’ll play in the Championship.

                          • Alessio Romagnoli
                            substitute
                            • Age:27
                            • Country:Italy
                            • Team:Milan
                            • Position:Defender
                            • Instagram account:alessio.romagnoli

                              Alessio Romagnoli is an Italian professional footballer who performs as a centre-back and captains the Serie A club Milan. The player was born on 12th of January 1995. Since Milan bought him from Roma in 2015 he has participated in 243 games in which he has scored 10 goals.

                            • Alexandre Lacazette
                              substitute
                              • Age:30
                              • Country:France
                              • Team:Arsenal
                              • Position:Forward
                              • Instagram account:lacazettealex

                                Alexandre Lacazette is a 30 years old French professional footballer who plays as a forward and Premier League club Arsenal. In 2015 The Gunners bought him from Lyon and since then he has played in 275 games in which he found the net 129 times. Most likely the player will go back to his previous club.

                              • Luis Suarez
                                substitute
                                • Age:35
                                • Country:Uruguay
                                • Team:Atlético de Madrid
                                • Position:Forward
                                • Instagram account:luissuarez9

                                  Luis Suarez is born on the 24th of January 1987. He currently plays for Atletico Madrid and the Uruguayan national team. Since Atletico bought him for only 1.5 millions from Barcelona in the summer of 2020, the striker has netted 31 times in 69 games. Aston Villa looks as the most likely destination for him.

                                The second team consists of players that are looking for more time on the field:

                                1. Sergio Asenjo
                                  • Age:32
                                  • Country:Spain
                                  • Team:Villarreal C.F.
                                  • Position:Goalkeeper
                                  • Instagram account:sergioasenjo1

                                    Sergio Asenjo is a 32 year old goalkeeper that plays for Villareal. Since he joined the club back in 2014 he has 254 apps with 88 clean sheets. In my opinion he won’t renew his contract because he wants more game time and is currently a backup goalkeeper in Villareal.

                                  • Marcelo Vieira
                                    • Age:33
                                    • Country:Brazil
                                    • Team:Real Madrid C.F.
                                    • Position:Defender
                                    • Instagram account:marcelotwelve

                                      Marcelo Vieira is born on the 12th of May 1988. He currently plays for Real Madrid and the Brazilian National Team. He moved from his home country Brazil to Real Madrid way back in 2008 and since then has recorded 539 appearences and 38 goals for the club. For the time being with Los Merenges, Marcelo has cemented his status as a club legend. His next destination most likely will be Brazil.

                                    • Cesar Azpilicueta
                                      • Age:32
                                      • Country:Spain
                                      • Team:Chelsea F.C.
                                      • Position:Defender
                                      • Instagram account:cesarazpi

                                        Cesar Azpilicueta is a 32 years old centre-back that also can fill in the right-back position. He plays for Chelsea and the Spanish National Team. He plays for Chelsea from 2012 and has 314 games for the club in which he has scored 11 goals. The rumours say that most likely the defender will end up in La Liga.

                                      • Jason Denayer
                                        • Age:26
                                        • Country:Belgium
                                        • Team:Olympique Lyonnais
                                        • Position:Defender
                                        • Instagram account:jason_denayer

                                          Jason Denayer is a centre-back that plays for french side Lyon and has caps in the Belgium national team. He was born on the 28th of June 1995. Since joining Lyon in 2018 the player has recorded 84 appearences for the club and has scored 4 goals throughout these games.

                                        • Andreas Christensen

                                          Andreas Christiansen is currently a Chelsea player and regularly plays for the Danish national team. He is a centre-back and is 25 years old. He came to Chelsea back in 2012 and was part of their academy for 1 season. The next year he made his debut for the squad and has since played in 88 games, but is yet to record his first goal.

                                        • Isco Alarcon Suarez
                                          • Age:29
                                          • Country:Spain
                                          • Team:Real Madrid CF
                                          • Position:Midfielder
                                          • Instagram account:iscoalarcon

                                            Isco is a Real Madrid player and occasionally plays for the Spanish National Team. He is currently 29 years old and is an attacking midfielder. He joined Real from Malaga in 2013 and since then has played in 274 games for the team scoring 34 goals. Rumours are saying there is a chance that The Blaugranas player might end up playing or their arch rivals Barcelona.

                                          • Jesse Lingard
                                            • Age:29
                                            • Country:United Kingdom
                                            • Team:Manchester United F.C.
                                            • Position:Midfielder
                                            • Instagram account:jesselingard

                                              Jesse Lingard is an attacking midfielder that plays for Manchester United and has some caps in the English National team. He was born on the 15th of December 1992. Since his promotion to the first team back in 2012 he has 144 apps for the club and has scored 20 goals. The player is currently desperate for game time as he was expected to become a much better player than he currently is. West Ham are one of the teams that might snatch him up for free in the summer.

                                            • Corentin Tolisso
                                              • Age:24
                                              • Country:France
                                              • Team:Bayern Munich
                                              • Position:Midfielder
                                              • Instagram account:corentintolisso

                                                Corentin Tolisso is a French central midfielder who plays for Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and the France national team. He is born on the 3rd of August 1994. Tolisso was bought from Lyon back in 2017 and since then has recorded 114 games for the Bavarian giants, scoring 29 goals in the process. His next destination most likely will be the Premier League.

                                              • Divock Origi
                                                • Age:26
                                                • Country:Belgium
                                                • Team:Liverpool F.C.
                                                • Position:Forward

                                                  Divock Origi is a 26 years old centre-forward that plays for Liverpool and the Belgium National Team. Since his transfer from Lille back in 2014 the player has recorded 103 games for the english team and has scored 21 goals. Rumours are that he will complete a transfer to a Bundesliga side in the summer.

                                                • Gareth Bale
                                                  • Age:32
                                                  • Country:Wales
                                                  • Team:Real Madrid C.F.
                                                  • Position:Forward
                                                  • Instagram account:garethbale11

                                                    Gareth Bale was born on the 16th of July 1989 in Wales. He is a player of the spanish giants Real Madrid. Since his transfer from Tottenham in 2013 he has played 174 matches in which he has scored 84 goals. There are rumours that the welsh star may be back in his old team in the summer as a free agent.

                                                  • Federico Bernardeschi
                                                    • Age:27
                                                    • Country:Italy
                                                    • Team:Juventus
                                                    • Position:Midfielder
                                                    • Instagram account:fbernardeschi

                                                      Federico Bernardeschi is a 27 years old Italian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team. He was bought from Fiorentina in 2017 and has recorded 127 matches for them since. In those appearences he has scored 8 goals.

                                                    • Juan Mata
                                                      substitute
                                                      • Age:33
                                                      • Country:Spain
                                                      • Team:Manchester United
                                                      • Position:Forward
                                                      • Instagram account:juanmatagarcia

                                                        Juan Mata is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United. He is currently 33 years old. His present team bought him from Chelsea in 2014 and since then the player has participated in 277 games for the club and has netted 51 times.

                                                      • Fernando Luiz Roza
                                                        substitute
                                                        • Age:36
                                                        • Country:Brazil
                                                        • Team:Manchester City F.C.
                                                        • Position:Midfielder

                                                          Fernando Luiz Roza, known as Fernandinho, is a 36 years old Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League giants Manchester City and the Brazilian national team. Since joining the club back in 2013 the player has recorded 370 apps in which he scored 25 goals.

                                                        • Angel Di Maria
                                                          substitute
                                                          • Age:34
                                                          • Country:Argentina
                                                          • Team:Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
                                                          • Position:Forward
                                                          • Instagram account:angeldimariajm

                                                            Angel Di Maria is born on the 14th of February 1988. He is currently a player of PSG and also plays in the Argentinian National Team. PSG bought him from Manchester United back in 2015 and since then he has worn the Parisians shirt for 285 games and has netted 91 times. Most likely his next transfer won’t be in Europe because of Di Maria’s advanced age.

                                                          • Andrej Kramarić
                                                            substitute
                                                            • Age:30
                                                            • Country:Croatia
                                                            • Team:Hoffenheim
                                                            • Position:Forward
                                                            • Instagram account:angeldimariajm

                                                              Andrej Kramarić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Hoffenheim and the Croatia national team. At the moment he is 30 years old. Hoffenheim bought him from Leicester City in 2016. For the time being at the club he has participated in 207 appearances and has scored 100 goal throughout those.

                                                            • Boubacar Bernard Kamara
                                                              substitute
                                                              • Age:22
                                                              • Country:France
                                                              • Team:Olympique de Marseille
                                                              • Position:Midfielder
                                                              • Instagram account:bouba_darkoss

                                                                Boubacar Kamara is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Marseille. He was born on the 23rd of November 1999 in France. Marseille is the only club in his career so far and he has recorded 114 games and has scored 3 times in those.


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