Lorenzo Insigne’s move to Major League Soccer side Toronto FC has put the whole footballing world alert as clubs search for bargains.
Insigne has signed a contract thought to be worth $8 million US per year with the Canadian team and is due to start from July 1, 2022 when his deal at Napoli expires.
Toronto’s president admitted that the deal came about after he looked through the Transfermarkt website to see who was out of contract at the end of the season.
As per the Bosman rule, players with less than six months to run on their contract and over the age of 23 can negotiate a contract with a different club without a transfer fee required.
On that note, here are the 10 most valuable players available to be signed for nothing, according to Transfermarkt.
10. Andrea Belotti (£25.5 million)
Belotti is rumoured to be following his compatriot to Toronto FC, with his current deal at Torino due to expire at the end of the season.
The 28-year-old has scored 19 goals in his 41 appearances for the Italian national team, and played in all but one of the Azzuri’s matches at Euro 2020.
9. Ousmane Dembele (£27 million)
Barcelona paid £135 million to secure Dembele in August 2017, but have not got anywhere near a return on their investment.
Injuries have hampered the former Stade Rennais and Borussia Dortmund winger’s time in Catalonia, but he’s still an established French international, with 27 caps for his country.
8. Andreas Christensen (£31.5 million)
After forcing his way into the first team following a loan spell to Borussia Monchengladbach, Christensen was crucial in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph in June 2021 after replacing the injured Thiago Silva.
He’s yet to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge, and will have plenty of potential suitors after an excellent Euro 2020 campaign with Denmark.
7. Niklas Sule (£31.5 million)
The 6’5 centre-half struggled in his first couple of years in Bavaria, but has grown into one of their most important leaders after the departures of Jerome Boateng and David Alaba.
At 26 years old, he’s only just starting to reach his full potential, and could easily become one of the world’s very best in the position.
6. Antonio Rudiger (£31.5 million)
Another member of Chelsea’s Champions League winning back line, Rudiger joined the Blues back in 2017 from Italian side AS Roma and has been a fans favourite at Stamford Bridge. The 28-year-old centre-back’s contract runs out in June and has yet to sign a new deal. The German has already caught the eye of many top European clubs and will be a fantastic free signing for anyone.
5. Marcelo Brozovic (£36 million)
Brozovic has been a standout player for Inter since joining the club back in 2016 from Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian defensive midfielder has helped Inter become the 2021 Italian champions along with making 268 appearances for the Serie A side scoring 26 goals.
The 29-year-old has yet to put pen to paper in a new deal with the Italian champions with his current contract expiring in June.
4. Franck Kessie (£43.2 million)
Kessie signed a three-year deal with AC Milan back in 2019 following his £21.6m move from fellow Serie A side Atalanta. The central midfielder’s future remains uncertain as he still hasn’t signed a new deal at the San Siro with there reports of him wanting to leave the club.
If the Cote d’Ivoire international does decided to leave Milan I’m sure there will be plenty of clubs interested in acquiring his signature.
3. Paulo Dybala (£45 million)
The Argentinian maestro seems to be linked with a move away from Juventus come every transfer window. Since joining Italian giants Juventus, Dybala has without doubt become one of the biggest names in football.
However the 28-year-old appears to be keeping his options open as time is running out on his current contract which ends in June. Dybala on a free is something I think any club would be interested in.
2. Paul Pogba (£49.5 million)
I think it’s safe to say the Frenchman hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since he re-joined Manchester United from Juventus back in 2016.
Being a World Cup winner there’s no doubt whatsoever that Pogba has immense talent. However, for whatever reason, it hasn’t really worked at Old Trafford. Pogba has been outspoken on his career at United in recent years showing his frustration at the club.
The 28-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a move to Real Madrid, however only time will tell.
1. Kylian Mbappe (£144 million)
Since leaving Monaco and joining Paris Saint-Germain back in 2018 for a grand fee of £130.5 million, the French international has set the footballing world alight. At just 23, Mbappe has won four league Titles, 2018 French footballer of the year and also the 2018 world cup.
There’s been constant rumours around Mbappe’s future however, as of yet, he hasn’t signed a new deal with the French champions and his current contract expires in June. One thing for sure is whoever wants him will need a lot of cash in the bank to afford arguably one of the best players in the world.
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