Given the money in the game these days, allowing a valuable player’s contract to run down to expiry never sits well with any fans. But one club’s loss is always another’s gain. Aaron Ramsey has already agreed a deal with Juventus on a free transfer and Ander Herrera is expected to join PSG for nothing after his departure from Manchester United. With Vincent Kompany the latest player to leave England on a free, here are a few players who could move in the opposite direction when their current deals expire.
Adrien Rabiot, Paris Saint-Germain
Adrien Rabiot was expected to join Barcelona this summer but his dream move looks increasingly unlikely after the club agreed a £65m deal for Frenkie de Jong. Having cut ties with PSG, the 24-year-old midfielder is very much up for grabs.
Whoever signs Rabiot will do so knowing there are question marks about his attitude. He has been fined and suspended by PSG for various misdemeanours, including turning up late for training, being pictured in a nightclub a few hours after a game and liking a social media post from Patrice Evra that celebrated Manchester United’s win over PSG in the Champions League.
That said, there are no doubts about the technical quality of a player whose best years are still ahead of him. He was in fine form at the start of the season but, following a dispute over his current deal – with Rabiot and his agent suggesting his wages should fall in line with the club’s top earners – the Frenchman has not played a single minute in 2019.
At his best, he is one of the most elegant passers in the game, as shown by his pass accuracy of 93.1% in his 14 Ligue 1 appearances this season. It will take a club with deep pockets to match the midfielder’s wage demands, but a young player of Rabiot’s quality rarely becomes available on a free transfer.
Yacine Brahimi, Porto
Yacine Brahimi has long been touted with an exit from Porto and, having run down his contract, he will surely make that move this summer. The Algeria winger will have no shortage of suitors. He did turn 29 earlier this year, but he shows no signs of slowing down; Brahimi hit double figures for league goals for the first time in his career this season.
Brahimi is renowned for his dazzling skills – he completed more dribbles than any other player in Portugal this season (84) – and his ability to isolate and beat defenders makes him a true entertainer. Having proven himself on the biggest stage in the Champions League over the last five years, he would be an astute signing for most clubs preparing for next season’s tournament.
Mario Balotelli, Marseille
Rabiot has a reputation for behavioural problems, but he has some way to go before he reaches Balotelli levels of “bad boy” status. There is a reason Balotelli doesn’t stick around at clubs for too long and it has little to do with his ability on the pitch.
Balotelli joined Nice on a free transfer in August 2016 and was excellent in his first two seasons on the Cote d’Azur but, once again, he found himself leaving a club in unceremonious fashion. At the start of this season, he turned up late and out of shape, prompting Nice manager Patrick Vieira to say: “When it comes to Mario, I want to answer back, or just slam him up against the wall or leave him hanging by his collar on the coat rack, but I can’t, as I’m no longer a player.”
With his relationship at Nice broken, Balotelli terminated his contract and signed for Marseille in January. The move has done him well. Over the last few months, Balotelli has once again shown that he can still be an extremely useful goalscorer. He has scored eight goals in 14 league appearances for Marseille, taking his tally to 39 in Ligue 1 since he moved to France in 2016.
The hot-headed striker will always be a risk, but he has delivered (in the short term at least) at almost every club – with the exception of Liverpool – he has represented.
Max Kruse, Wolfsburg
Not too long ago Max Kruse looked like Germany’s best option to lead their attack, but things fell apart for the striker in the build-up to Euro 2016. He was admonished for eating too much Nutella and fined £20,000 for leaving £60,000 of poker winnings in the back of a taxi, which led Joachim Löw to drop him from the national team for “acting unprofessionally”. In truth, if the Germany squad was picked on merit, Kruse should be given an international recall, but his more pressing issue is deciding where his future lies at club level.
The versatile forward had a direct hand in 20 Bundesliga goals for Werder Bremen this season, scoring 11 and assisting nine. He flourished when deployed behind a lone striker in particular and his creativity and vision would be a real asset to a number of Premier League teams.
Bayern Munich are believed to be weighing up an offer to Kruse and Liverpool have also been linked with the player. He can be inconsistent but, at his best, he is a real handful. He turned 31 in March but still has plenty to offer.
Enock Kwateng, Nantes
Speaking in December, Enock Kwateng said his “priority is to stay at Nantes” but the fact he has not played as often as he would like in recent months suggests he will be on the move this summer. The 22-year-old defender has started 21 of 29 league appearances in total this season, primarily at right-back but also in a more advanced role on that flank.
He is a solid defender – the youngster has made the most interceptions per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 this season – and he would represent a low-risk transfer for most Premier League clubs outside the top six.
The Guardian Sport
