Best free agents in every position right now | OneFootball

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.

At the time of writing, we have selected a starting eleven using the commonly employed 4-2-3-1 formation.

GK: David de Gea

The departure of David de Gea truly ended a spectacular era at Manchester United, with the Spaniard being among the last members of Sir Alex Ferguson’s final championship-winning team. His weakness in ball handling resulted in Erik ten Hag looking elsewhere, and despite mooted interest from Saudi Arabia, the 45-time capped La Roja international has entered a second summer looking for a new club. Newcastle United and boyhood club Atletico Madrid were among those interested last season, though it’s increasingly hard to see him playing again if his reported wages are a stumbling block.

RB: Serge Aurier

Perhaps his best days are behind him, but Serge Aurier did show he’s still capable at Nottingham Forest, but 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 continuous 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. Bologna, soon to make their Champions League debut, are among those interested in the World Cup winner.

CB: Raphaël Varane

Speaking of winning football’s grandest prizes, Raphaël Varane has just about done it all and could very well be entering that phase many battle-hardened warriors dip into when they have nothing left to prove. His time at Manchester United might not have gone as he wanted, but the Frenchman nonetheless proved to be a credible servant when available, as injuries blighted his Old Trafford stint. Enjoying the sweet life may be on the cards, with newly promoted Serie A outfit Como determined to acquire his signature.

LB: Marcos Alonso

At one point, he was the preeminent left-back playing in England’s Premier Division (though Andy Robertson might have a say), and it seemed Marcos Alonso was back on track with Barcelona, though a two-year stay only yielded 29 league appearances. The former Bolton Wanderers man could potentially achieve a rare feat with Atlético Madrid reportedly interested. Having started at Real Madrid, he could join Bernd Schuster and Miquel Soler to have represented each of Spain’s big three clubs.

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.

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’s since returned, Everton have somewhat moved on. He’s done a good job rebounding on loan at Lille, so it will be interesting to see where he next shows up.

RW: Nicolas Pépé

Footballers cannot be held to whatever a club signs them for. The selling club determines the price tag, and Lille felt Nicolas Pépé was worth £72m to them. The promising winger subsequently joined Arsenal and would enjoy a hot-and-cold spell in North London, where he ultimately registered 16 goals across 80 league outings. A move to Nice on loan was followed by a season at Trabzonspor, and now the 46-time Ivory Coast international awaits his next destination.

AM: Marco Reus

Emotions ran high when Marco Reus ended an amazing 12-year tenure with Borussia Dortmund, his second spell after returning from Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, the latter years have been marred by frustrating injuries that curtailed his performances. Having only known two clubs and one league, it will be interesting to see if Reus remains in Europe or crosses the Atlantic, with the LA Galaxy reportedly keen to bring him stateside.

LW: Ángel Di María

After spending many years crisscrossing Europe’s biggest leagues, it was a fairytale return last summer when Ángel Di María and Benfica reunited. His comeback was a modest success, with the Eagles finishing second in Portugal’s top division. However, on a personal note, he contributed 17 goals and 15 assists in 48 official matches. He’s been linked with a move to his native Argentina, but don’t rule out him somehow linking up with buddy Lionel Messi in Miami.

CF: 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.