Even amid the coronavirus crisis, the summer transfer window in 2020 surprisingly went on to be a quite busy one as previous years, with clubs exchanging players here and there – some even for record sums. Next year’s summer window could even now be said to have much more promise as there will be many big names available for free upon the expiration of their current contract.
NetBet Nigeria, here, takes a look at the top stars who have entered into the final year of their contracts, and would become free agents at the end of the season if they decline the extension offers from their respective parent clubs.
- Edison Cavani
The veteran marksman joined Man United on a one-year contract last summer but has surprisingly been handed only a bit-part role at the club. He could, again, become a free agent next summer except he gets to do enough to win the favour of the Man United hierarchy.
- Arkadiusz Milik
The Polish striker fell out with Napoli President Aurelio DeLaurentiis after failing to take any of the several offers for him to exit the Neapolitan side last summer. He was, as a result, not named in the club’s Serie A squad for the season and will be available to leave on a free at the end of the season.
- Eric Garcia
The young Spanish defender has been pushing for a return to Barcelona for several months and could be set to join the Blaugrana on a free when his contract expires next summer. The 19-year-old has already informed the Man City hierarchy of his decision to not extend his contract beyond 2021 and the club is now resigned to losing the promising youngster for nothing next year.
- Juan Mata
The Spaniard also has, included in his contract, an option to extend by a further year and his recent decent performances for the Red Devils could most possibly spur them to activate it.
- Jesse Lingard
Lingard has been a bit-part player for Man United in the last couple of seasons despite being one of the high-earners at the club. The Manchester giants are yet considering whether or not to activate the one-year extension clause they have in his current contract but they’ve, meanwhile, slammed a price tag of £25 million to £30 million on him.
- Mesut Ozil
The German playmaker is undoubtedly the most controversial figure at Arsenal in recent times. From below-par performances to political controversies to the Gunnersarus incident. He hasn’t seen game time for the Gunners in their current campaign so far and they would happily see to chalk off his £350,000-a-week wage off their bill when his contract expires in 2021. Surely you would have your money on him leaving the Emirates at the end of the season.
- Sergio Aguero
The forward has had injuries deny him of making meaningful contributions to Man City’s course in the past few months and thus there is yet a possibility of seeing the Cityzens refuse to offer him a contract extension. Aguero has been at City since the summer of 2011, when he joined from Atletico Madrid, and would have spent a decade at the Etihad at the end of his current contract next summer.
- David Alaba
Alaba is another high-profile player who could be set to part ways with his respective club after a stint that has lasted more than a decade. The 28-year-old defender could as well begin negotiations with a prospective suitor in January as Bayern, last month, withdrew their contract extension offer after failing to come into agreement with the player’s agent. There are rumours that the versatile Austria captain wants a La Liga move.
- Sergio Ramos
The Real Madrid captain has entered the final year of his contract with the Los Blancos. But it isn’t quite likely that the 34-year-old defender will end his 15-year spell at the Bernabeu next summer as Real are reportedly growing increasingly confident that they will get his contract extended. Latest rumours say David Beckham wants him at Inter Miami.
- Lionel Messi
Even at 33 years of age, the Argentina international had many elite clubs in Europe on their toes when the news broke in August that he had handed in a request to leave Barcelona last summer. Such is the status of Messi, who is unarguably one of the greatest player to ever play the round-leather game.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner eventually opted to see out the rest of his contract as he came to acceptance of the fact that it was nearly impossible to buy him out of his €700 million release clause. He even later called for a truce with the board of the Catalan side at the end of the bitter dispute. But several big-name suitors could resume the hustle for his signature next summer, if the recent exit of the Blaugrana president Josep Bartomeu still isn’t enough to see him change his mind and extend his stay at his boyhood club. Meanwhile, multiple classified reports suggest that the player prefers a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Man City.
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