Transfermarkt: The summer transfer window is approaching quickly and in the world of football transfers, rumours about players who can leave their current clubs for free at the end of the season are gathering pace.
Will Lionel Messi head to Saudi Arabia or even return to Barcelona? Is Milan Skriniar already looking for a new apartment in Paris? The PSG star and Inter Milan defender are the two most valuable players in the world whose contracts expire in the summer.
Most of the highly decorated players with contracts running out in 2023 can be found in the squad of Real Madrid, with a combined value of more than €100 million. A global top XI compiled by Transfermarkt is even worth a total of €349m.
Including Messi, Zaha & Gündogan - The most valuable free agents in 2023
29. David de Gea (Man United) - €15M
28. Nelson Semedo (Wolves) - €15M
27. Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth) - €15M
26. Daniel Amartey (Leicester) - €15M
25. Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester) - €15M
24. Moussa Dembele (Lyon) - €15M
23. Houssem Aouar (Lyon) - €15M
22. Ben Brereton Diaz (Blackburn) - €16M
21. Naby Keita (Liverpool) - €17M
20. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) - €18M
19. Inigo Martinez (Athletic Club) - €18M
18. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea) - €20M
17. Raphael Guerreiro (Dortmund) - €20M
16. Ramy Bensebaini (Gladbach) - €20M
15. Jonathan Bamba (Lille) - €20M
14. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) - €22M
13. Ilkay Gundogan (Man City) - €25M
12. Alejandro Grimaldo (Benfica) - €25M
11. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) - €25M
10. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) - €27M
9. Konrad Laimer (RB Leipzig) - €28M
8. Adrien Rabiot (Juventus) - €30M
7. Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt) - €30M
6. Youri Tielemans (Leicester) - €30M
5. Marcus Thuram (Gladbach) - €32M
4. Evan Ndicka (Frankfurt) - €32M
3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - €35M
2. Lionel Messi (PSG) - €45M
1. Milan Skriniar (Inter) - €60M
Having a look at the expiring contracts in the Premier League, there are currently 20 players with a market value of at least €10m who are allowed to leave their current clubs for free at the start of July. Real Madrid alone currently have five footballers meeting the same criteria in their squad, but will have to deal with the contractual situations of a total of eight players in the coming weeks. Among others, top striker and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and club icons Toni Kroos and Luka Modric would otherwise be gone in the summer.
Benzema, who is one of the most loyal players in La Liga, ranks third behind Skriniar and Messi in the ranking of the most valuable free agents in 2023. An extension of the Frenchman’s contract for a 15th season in Madrid seemed to be all but done last fall already.
The top 20 also includes five Premier League players, including Leicester’s Youri Tielemans and Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha, who are among the most sought-after players on the market. In the Transfermarkt community, even more rumours than about those two are discussed about Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, however.