The best footballers out of contract on free transfers in summer of 2026

Pedri and Lamine Yamal
Pedri and Lamine Yamal

While talk swirls of the players available on a free transfer in 2025 – including a trio of Liverpool players you might be familiar with – the real juice is in the players whose contracts expire in 2026, who should really be in talks by now.

Ranked in order of value according to Transfermarkt, here are the 20 biggest stars currently due to become free agents in 2026…

 

20) Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves)
The club does have an option for a further year, which they will surely trigger to protect the value of a left-back who should be playing a higher level than a relegation battle.

 

19) Heung-min Son (Tottenham)
His one-year contract extension was triggered but there was little celebration among Spurs fans who largely see him closer to a problem than a solution.

 

18) Johan Bakayoko (PSV)
The Belgium international winger has made it clear that he would like to leave the Dutch league in 2025; Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a player previously pursued by Liverpool.

 

17) Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
“I want to play football and then I’ll see what the club wants to do with me and then I’ll decide what I want to do, together with my agent and my family,” said the Dutchman. The problem? He’s not playing a lot of football.

 

16) Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
His former club Chelsea are said to be interested along with Liverpool and Newcastle, who tried and failed to sign him last summer. They might have more chance if they secure Champions League football.

 

15) Theo Hernandez (AC Milan)
The left-back is said to be close to signing a contract extension that will make him one of the club’s highest earners.

 

14) Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
He’s rated highly by Vincent Kompany (who knows a few things about being a centre-back) so Bayern are said to be ready to open talks.

 

13) Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
A new deal was said to be imminent in October, but this Liverpool regime have proved to be frankly awful at closing these deals.

 

12) Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Very strongly linked with Arsenal – who could spark a title race with a January move – but there is also persistent talk about Manchester United and Newcastle United.

 

11) Estevao (Palmeiras)
We already know that he is coming to Chelsea this summer.

 

10) Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
The Italian club are looking to hand him a new contract on inflated wages, but that will be nothing compared to what he will inevitably offered elsewhere.

 

9) Ronald Araujo (Barcelona)
The Uruguayan was reportedly on the verge of a move to Juventus but an injury to Inigo Martinez means that Barcelona may now refuse to sell. “We already saw Araujo against Madrid, he is a fantastic centre-back, strong, one of the best and a leader,” said Hansi Flick.

 

8) Nuno Mendes (PSG)
The left-back – there’s a lot of them around – looks destined to move on this summer; Manchester United will face competition from Manchester City and Real Madrid.

 

7) Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
It feels like he has been trying to leave for almost as long as he has been a Manchester City player. But will he end up coming back like Ilkay Gundogan?

 

6) Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
One of the best strikers in world football who is currently available at the right price. He has not scored nearly enough goals for Juventus to offer him a new contract; they would prefer to sell him now.

 

5) Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
A contract renewal – with a significant increase on his salary – is due any day now.

 

4) Gavi (Barcelona)
Only when the midfielder is back to full fitness and form will discussions begin about a new contract.

 

3) Pedri (Barcelona)
A reminder here of just how much young talent has recently emerged at Barcelona; a new long-term contract should be along before the end of the season.

 

2) Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Talks are ongoing but there are suggestions that the German wants a buy-out clause along with his massive wages.

 

1) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
“I don’t know when [the contract will be signed], but I believe it will be soon,” Yamal told CNN. “At the end of the day, Barça is the club of my life. I hope to renew my contract with them and to be with them for as long as possible.”