The summer transfer window is open and the 2022/23 campaign has officially begun.
For many football fans, the date of 1 July is not significant but for clubs and players it is one of the most important dates of the year; as multiple contracts officially expire, the season accounts have come to a close and a new era begins. There are no shortage of free agents who are now officially uncontracted to any clubs.
Paul Pogba is poised to join Juventus while Divock Origi is set to join Milan so we have left them out of our strongest XI of free agents and, as far as possible, have tried to include only players who are currently available to sign for anyone. Who in this Mirror Football Free Agent XI would you like your club to sign?
Goalkeeper
Andre Onana
Cameroon international Onana is a free agent this summer after leaving Ajax. He joined Barcelona in 2010, after starting out at the Samuel Eto'o Foundation – has been linked with a switch to Inter, but no confirmation of a summer destination has yet been confirmed. Inter are set to renew the deal of long-term shot-stopper Samir Handanovic.
Honourable mentions : Sergio Romero, Loris Karius, Sergio Asenjo, Salvatore Sirigu, Thomas Strakosha, David Ospina
Defenders
Dani Alves, Dan-Axel Zagadou, John Brooks, Marcelo
Barcelona did not extend the short-term contract of Dani Alves even though the veteran right-back was hoping to stay at the club for at least the first half of next season to keep his World Cup dream alive, meaning that he is now a free agent and on the lookout for a new club.
Marcelo said his goodbyes to Real Madrid in May after it was confirmed he was leaving this summer at the end of his contract. The veteran Brazilian has spent 16 years at the Santiago Bernabeu and his 25 trophies won is more than any other player in the club’s history.
Have Your Say! Which free agents are likely to be in the most demand this summer? Tell us what you think here.
In the centre of defence, Dan-Axel Zagadou is a free agent after leaving Borussia Dortmund – aged just 23, he made 92 appearances across five seasons that were limited by injuries but he is still likely to be in high demand.
American international defender John Brooks, 29, is also out of contract after spending a decade in the Bundesliga across spells with Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg.
Honourable mentions : Sime Vrsaljko, Serge Aurier, Felipe, Luiz Felipe, Danilo D'Ambrosio, Jason Denayer, Djibril Sidibe, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski
Midfielders
Florian Grillitsch, Cesc Fabregas, Angel Di Maria
Cesc Fabregas has been linked to a sensational return to the Premier League after leaving Monaco having had his game-time limited last season.
Another former Premier League star, Angel di Maria, is a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. While he is anticipated to join Juventus, no deal has yet been announced for the Argentine, who registered more assists in PSG’s history than any other player.
The midfielder is anchored by Austrian international Florian Grillitsch, who is likely to be in high demand across Europe after leaving Hoffenheim as a free agent.
Honourable mentions : Christian Eriksen, Isco, Joao Moutinho, Fabian Delph, Matias Vecino, Arturo Vidal, Giacomo Bonaventura, Xavi Simons
Forwards
Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, Paulo Dybala
There are a series of high-profile attackers available as free agents. Ousmane Dembele is out of contract at Barcelona – with Chelsea said to be a leading contender for his signature – while Luis Suarez is also a free agent after two years at Atletico Madrid, and is thought to favour a stay in Spain.
Paulo Dybala has left Juventus and despite strong links of a move to Inter, that move appears to have hit the buffers in recent weeks. All three would be in high demand across Europe as teams look to add to their attacking options.
Honourable mentions : Edinson Cavani, Andrea Belotti, Artem Dzyuba, Federico Bernardeschi, Adnan Januzaj, Carlos Bacca, Danny Welbeck
