It’ll be another busy summer for some of the Premier League’s best sides as they aim to improve their squads ahead of the new season. But elite talents normally come at a premium, meaning doing so can be a costly task.
Yet one strategy that’s often overlooked by top Premier League sides is exploiting the free transfer market.
Every summer, there’s often a wealth of talented stars available for free transfers, however rarely do we see enough teams take advantage.
This is something that’s started to change in more recent years across the continent though, with big clubs like PSG bringing in a host of stars such as Lionel Messi, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sergio Ramos on fee-free deals.
La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have followed suit this year and are expected to announce they have agreed pre-contract deals for Chelsea duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen soon.
It’s only a matter of time before a club announces the signing of midfield maestro Paul Pogba on a free too as he’ll depart from Manchester United at the expiry of his contract at the end of this season.
There are plenty more big names walking free this season, therefore Mirror Football has analysed some of the players available, and what clubs could potentially suit them best.
Axel Witsel - Manchester United
Signing a new defensive midfielder is a priority for Manchester United this summer. However, given they’re eager to improve a number of key positions under Erik ten Hag, being savvy in the market could be crucial.
Witsel is out of contract at Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season and will be leaving on a free transfer. Despite this though, he’s still been a key player for the Bundesliga side this year, making 39 appearances so far.
The 32-year-old is a dominating presence who has exquisite technical ability, just what United need. He could be the ideal stop-gap for next season while they continue to scout out a younger and more long term option.
Ivan Perisic - Newcastle United
It’s fair to say that the January deadline day move to bring Aston Villa’s Matt Targett in on loan paid off for Newcastle and he’s been a key player for Eddie Howe’s side in recent months.
However, as expectations grow at St James’ Park, there’ll be an emphasis on bringing in bigger and better players this summer and Perisic could be exactly that.
There’s a chance Inter may still persuade the versatile Croatian to stay, and it’s easy to see why’d they want to after a strong campaign from the 33-year-old in which he’s scored nine goals and registered nine assist from left wing-back. However as it stands he’ll depart from San Siro in June, and St James’ Park could be an exciting next project for him to be a part of.
Kylian Mbappe - Liverpool
Reports surfaced this week stating that Mbappe had agreed on a contract extension with PSG, but the star’s mother has since confirmed these reports weren’t true. This does leave the door open for Real Madrid to finally seal a deal for the French international, as has been expected for some time.
However, Liverpool have also had a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old. And the next few weeks could play a decisive role in perhaps tipping the scales in their favour as Jurgen Klopp’s men chase what would be an historic quadruple.
Should they achieve that feat, there’d be few arguments against them being considered the current best side on the planet, making them hugely appealing for any potential transfer targets, Mbappe included.
Although Liverpool did bring in one new forward in the form of Luis Diaz in January, they are still set to lose each of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah next year.
This does therefore open the door for a new superstar to join their ranks, and Mbappe’s availability this summer does make him the ideal player to be just that.
