The soccer season is finally starting to wrap up, with the French, German and English leagues all having already crowned champions. Normally by now the transfer window would be in full swing, but since the season was delayed due to coronavirus it has been pushed back. It appears that this will cause many changes, such as lower player prices and more player-for-player swap deals, as shown by Juventus and Barcelona in the Arthur for Pjanic swap. However, one thing will remain mostly the same, and that is free transfers.
Many players have extended contracts so they can finish the season, but after that the madness starts. In fact, some players don’t have extended contracts. For example, Angel Gomes, a top prospect for Manchester United, is set to leave on June 30.
Here are the best players available for free this summer:
Willian, Chelsea
Despite being thirty-one years old, the Brazilian winger Willian continues to amass playing time, having played in thirty Premier League games for the Blues. Willian, who has been capped sixty-nine times for the Brazilian senior team, started his career in Brazil with famous club Corinthians. He then signed for Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk, where he played for six seasons, where he contributed for one hundred goals before being bought by Russian club Anzhi.
He played just seventeen games in Russia, before being quickly shipped off to Chelsea, where he has played ever since. He has played three hundred and thirty-two games and contributed to one hundred and twenty goals. He will turn thirty-two in August, when his modified contract expires, and has been linked to Manchester United and Arsenal.
Edinson Cavani, PSG
Edinson Cavani has been with PSG since the 2013/14 season, around the time PSG started to become elite with the signings of Thiago Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham. Cavani had been a force on the Uruguayan national team long before this, however, making his first senior appearance in 2008. Cavani has been a great striking partner with Luis Suarez on the national team, but he has had less success with his teammates in PSG. Cavani has had many arguments in the past few seasons with record-signing Neymar, especially about who takes free kicks and penalty kicks, leading to him being frozen out and playing in just fourteen games in the shortened French season. Cavani has been linked to Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, as well as Newcastle United.
However, a Newcastle deal looks unlikely as the takeover from Saudi crown-prince Mohammad Bin Salman (also known as MBS) looks to be blocked by the Premier League. This is due to many human-rights violations including the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and MBS’ role in the crisis in Yemen. Not all sports news is always a sports decision.
David Silva, Manchester City
This has been a rough final season in Manchester for David Silva. Silva has won four Premier League titles with Manchester City in his ten years with the club, but has played in few games this season for the Citizens and has watched Liverpool have a record-setting, title-winning season. Silva has had a spectacular career that has taken him to Spain and England as well as earning one hundred and twenty-five caps for the Spanish senior side.
Silva has been linked many times to David Beckham’s new MLS team, Inter Miami, but a move to Qatar with Al-Duhail now looks increasingly likely. Silva still has a chance to win his first ever Champions League title, with Manchester City leading Real Madrid on aggregate when the tournament returns in August if his contract is extended for one more month.
Pedro, Chelsea
The second Chelsea player as well as the second Spaniard on this list, Pedro has spent much of this season playing second-fiddle behind Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Pedro is apparently quite close to agreeing to a deal with Serie A club AS Roma, which would be just the third club in Pedro’s prolific career. Pedro played three hundred and twenty-two games for FC Barcelona, winning the Champions League three times and La Liga five times. After nine years in Catalonia, Pedro left to join Chelsea in the summer of 2015.
He has won far fewer trophies in England with just one Premier League title and a Europa League win to his name in London, but Pedro has been under appreciated in London considering he has played two hundred and three games and contributed to seventy-one goals.
Adil Aouchiche, PSG
It will be a tricky season next year for PSG, who are losing Cavani, Thiago Silva, Layvin Kurzawa, Thomas Meunier and hot prospects Tanguy Kouassi and Adil Aouchiche on free contracts. Kouassi didn’t make this list because he has already agreed to join Bayern Munich this summer, but Adil Aouchiche has not yet picked a club. Aouchiche has played fourty-seven games at youth level for the French National Team, contributing to a ridiculous eight goals in seven games at the U-17 World Cup. Kylian Mbappe reportedly tried to convince Aouchiche to stay in the French capital, but Aouchiche has refused to sign an extension and has been linked to Juventus, Arsenal and most strongly to French club St Ètienne.
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There were many players that did not make this list, like OGC Nice youngster Malang Sarr or German World Cup winner Mario Götze. If you have any questions for me, a recommendation for an article, or wish to discuss any of the teams or players, or where they might end up, please leave a comment. I hope you enjoyed, and as always, keep watching soccer!
