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The 2021 Free Transfers XI Is Possibly The Best One Ever

The 2021 Free Transfers XI Is Possibly The Best One Ever

Lionel Messi can definitely improve a team...

Max Miller

Max Miller

Every January football fans will hear about the latest players to become available on free transfers, and dream that their club could sign them up on the cheap.

However, this is usually short lived, with the generally ageing stars not actually representing value for money due to their huge wage demands and advancing years.

This year though, that could be different - largely because of the addition of one man.

Clubs will be able to negotiate with Lionel Messi from January, meaning one of the greatest players ever to grace the game could be signed without a transfer fee.

In addition to the Argentine, the XI that can be created isn't half bad - and could be formidable force if they somehow managed to circumvent the rules to create their own team.

How do you think this lot would do in the Premier League?

Defence

Donnarumma
Donnarumma

AC Milan may be confident they can keep a hold of Gianluigi Donnarumma, but anything can happen when Mino Raiola is your agent. The Italian is one of the best goalkeepers in world football, so our team has a dependable man between the sticks.

We've gone with a back three, as all fantasy XIs must, by law, be horribly unbalanced, and it isn't bad. Sergio Ramos may finally leave Real Madrid after years of threatening to do so, David Alaba's agent has been described as a "money-grabbing piranha" by Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, and Manchester City's Eric Garcia just edges out Jerome Boateng for the final spot.

Midfield

Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay

Even at 35-years-old, Fernandinho is vital to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team, and is the lynchpin of our midfield. Alongside him in the centre is Liverpool's Gini Wijnaldum, who has been vital to the Reds' stratospheric rise but could now be allowed to leave Anfield.

Technially finishing off the midfield but unlikely to be doing much defending are Lyon's Memphis Depay and PSG's Julian Draxler - could he finally realise Arsene Wenger's dream and make good on those incessant Arsenal transfer rumours?

Attack

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi

Sergio Aguero leads the line for our out of contract team, with the Argentine yet to sign a new deal at the Etihad despite being a driving force behind all of the Premier League trophies and showing no signs of forgetting where the goal is.

Meanwhile, on the formation board it looks like at LW and RW, but we all know they'll both roam wherever they like, it's Mesut Ozil and Lionel Messi. Arsenal have shown how much they miss Ozil's creativity this season, and there isn't much more that needs to be said about Messi except that he is possibly the greatest player to ever kick a football.

Subs Bench

Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud

There were several players who nearl made it into the team, but will have to make do with a place on the bench. These include PSG's Angel Di Maria, Napoli's Arkadiusz Milik, Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng, Chelsea's Olivier Giroud, Hakan Calhanoglu at AC Milan, Florian Thauvin from Marseille, and for a bit of extra grit amongst the flair, Leicester City's Jonny Evans.

Here's the final line up in formation, could they challenge for a Premier League title?

Out of contract XI
Out of contract XI
Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Manchester City, Liverpool, Marseille, Football News, Sergio Ramos, Gini Wijnaldum, Chelsea, Sergio Aguero, Football, David Alaba, Eric Garcia, Barcelona, Mesut Ozil, Memphis Depay, PSG, Julian Draxler, Lionel Messi, AC Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Fernandinho, Arsenal, Napoli, Lyon, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid