The Top 25 Footballers Whose Contracts Expire This Summer Have Been Revealed

Players at Chelsea, PSG, Liverpool, Napoli and beyond will be available on a free in just a few months, creating a big headache for some clubs.

The Covid-19 pandemic means that top European leagues may finish the current season with games after 30 June. A crucial date, because it's when contracts expire for most players who are in the final years of their deals.

So a temporary extension may be arranged but - as it stands - below are the 25 most highly valued players, ranked by Transfermarkt, who are free to leave their clubs this summer.

Some, like Liverpool's Adam Lallana, will be allowed to leave with the blessing of their club. Others, such as Napoli star Dries Mertens or Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Fraser, are key components of their current teams.

So either deals will hurriedly being thrashed out or top clubs will pounce - with Manchester United the latest to be linked for a move for Belgian forward Mertens.

Even at 32 years old he would be terrific value on a free transfer, while his international teammate Thomas Meunier is the highest-value player with a deal set to expire. The PSG right-back is 28 and at his peak.

The full list is below - along with Transfermarkt's estimated current market value. Let us know who you think the best deal could be.

1. Thomas Meunier (PSG), £27m

2. Willian (Chelsea), £25.2m

3.= Dries Mertens (Napoli), £22.5m

3.= Edinson Cavani (PSG), £22.5m

5. Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth), £19.8m

6. Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), £16.2m

7. Artem Dzyuba (Zenit), £14.4m

8.= Layvin Kurzawa (PSG), £13.5m

8.= David Silva (Man City), £13.5m

8.= Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Leverkusen), £13.5m

11. Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund), £11.7m

12.= Jose Callejon (Napoli), £10.8m

12.= Giacomo Bonaventura (AC Milan), £10.8m

12.= Tanguy Kouassi (PSG), £10.8m

12.= Adam Lallana (Liverpool), £10.8m

12.= Benjamin Stambouli (Schalke), £10.8m

12.= Pedro (Chelsea), £10.8m

18. Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), £9.9m

19.= John Lundstram (Sheffield United), £9m

19.= Walter Benitez (Nice), £9m

19.= Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), £9m

19.= Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit), £9m

19.= Janik Haberer (Freiburg), £9m

19.= Jose Luis Palomino (Atalanta), £9m

25. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), £8.1m

All imagery: PA Images

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Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Football, Serie A, Ligue 1, PSG, Premier League, bournemouth, Napoli, Bundesliga

Alex Reid

Alex Reid is a writer at SPORTbible who’s previously strung words together for FourFourTwo, Boxing News, The Guardian and, yes, Cruise International (it’s about big ships, not Tom). Interests range from football and boxing to real sports like WWE and darts. He is not a cage fighter.

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