Best free agents in every position right now
It has been nearly three decades since the landmark Bosman ruling, which significantly changed football.
Among the most notable impacts was the introduction of free agency. Players can move to other clubs without transfer fees once their contracts expire.
This means that clubs might lose valuable players without receiving any financial compensation when their contracts end.
Many high-profile names have recently entered free agency, waiting to write the next chapters of their careers.
We have selected a starting eleven using the commonly employed 4-2-3-1 formation.
GK: Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas was supposed to join Monza after leaving PSG at the end of his contract but that move collapsed and he remains a free agent. Even at 37, the Costa Rican veteran will be an attractive prospect for anyone looking for an experienced head between the sticks, given his immense trophy cabinet that includes three Champions League titles and four league titles in France and Spain combined.
RB: Serge Aurier
Perhaps his best days are behind him, but Serge Aurier did show he’s still capable at Nottingham Forest. However, the Ivorian full-back wasn’t deemed a long-term asset and was moved on to Galatasaray, where he only made four league appearances this year. A return to England’s top division with a third different club following Tottenham and the aforementioned Forest seems unlikely, but that doesn’t rule out a Ligue 1 comeback where he began at Lens before turning out for Toulouse and Paris Saint-Germain.
CB: Mats Hummels
A contentious end to a second spell at Borussia Dortmund best describes Mats Hummels’ exit. Even so, the 35-year-old became the second player to produce more than 50 tackles in a single campaign, following Lúcio in 2009/10, and was named to the Bundesliga team of the season. He’s not slowing down and can arguably still do a job at the highest level. It looks like Hummels could soon replace Chris Smalling at Roma.
CB: Joel Matip
Mario Hermoso could easily have taken this slot but he’s about to seal a move to Roma, potentially becoming Hummels’ centre-back partner. Instead, we have Joel Matip, who remains without a club after leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old won Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup titles at Anfield and despite recent injury issues, will be highly coveted for his experience alone. At present, Bayer Leverkusen look like favourites to sign the former Schalke man after some initial interest from Barcelona.
Also worth noting that Sergio Ramos is still a free agent.
LB: Brandon Williams
Academy product Brandon Williams was released by Manchester United over the summer. Some thought he might re-join Ipswich, where he provided depth for their promotion push last season and even scored two goals. However, at present, the 23-year-old is still without a club.
CM: Adrien Rabiot
It feels like every summer, Adrien Rabiot was being linked with Manchester United, and now that he’s a free agent, it doesn’t look like he will be playing under Ten Hag next season. Rabiot, though, did look sharp for the French national team at this summer’s European Championship, and those performances may be enough to sway a Champions League club to take a chance, but the spectre of Saudi Arabia and the millions it provides weighs heavily on the mind.
Rabiot is still without a club despite being linked to basically everyone.
CM: André Gomes
Another player who saw limited time at Barcelona and has a Premier League history is André Gomes. He hasn’t been the same after sustaining a serious ankle injury against Tottenham in November 2019. Although he added some craft to the Everton midfield in spells last season, the Toffees have moved on. Perhaps Gomes’ history in Ligue 1 during his loan spell with Lille a couple of years ago could tempt a few suitors.
RW: Willian
He may be 36 years old, but you have to think that Willian could still offer a thing or two across some of Europe’s top leagues, or even still in the Premier League despite being released by Fulham. The former Chelsea stalwart has been a left-winger by trade but is more than capable of playing on the right, where his crossing ability could be used to devastating effect — alongside his relentless work-rate.
AM: Anthony Martial
Think of Martial playing not as a No.10, but in a free role where he can use his elite intelligence and movement to evade defenders and create space for those around him. Despite his injury troubles at Man Utd, that’s probably one of the reasons why Lille are working so hard to sign him, with Martial undoubtedly capable of delivering goals and assists and still only 28 years old.
LW: Memphis Depay
Since reverting to a centre-forward, or false nine, Memphis Depay found a new lease on life, earning him a Barcelona move (following Messi’s sudden departure). He never reached the heights he displayed at Lyon, and although moving to Atlético showed promising signs, it wasn’t to be as the club and player decided to part ways. He could have used Euro 2024 as a shop window, but the Dutch forward flattered to deceive and ended Oranje’s semi-final run injured.
Depay has been put back on the left for this team purely thanks to there being a wealth of free agent talent in forward areas this summer.
CF: Wissam Ben Yedder
Ben Yedder left Monaco at the end of his contract in the summer, but not before netting another 20 goals across all competitions last season. The France international has been delivering the goods on the continent for years now and it’s really hard to see him remaining a free agent for long, despite turning 34 last month.
Saudi Arabia looks his most likely destination, but there are plenty of European sides who could benefit from his goalscoring expertise.
