Let the meddling begin!
January 1 not only represents the start of the winter transfer window (and your ketogenic diet), but it is also the starting point for potential free transfers in the summer.
From now on, players who have entered the last six months of their contracts can formally discuss and negotiate future transfers with foreign clubs.
And boy will there be people snooping around. The current pool of potential free agent talent is absurd.
Here are the ten biggest names who can speak freely to clubs ahead of a possible transfer in 2025.
Liverpool have already rejected an approach from Actual Madrid to sign their revolutionary academy graduate in January, and we are bound to be subject to incessant talk about Trent Alexander-Arnold until his future is finally resolved.
The Reds have a triumvirate of superstars on expiring contracts, with Alexander-Arnold looking the most likely to leave, despite his Scouse roots.
Liverpool remain hopeful of retaining their full-back, but the lure of Madrid and the potential of teaming up with his best friend Jude Bellingham may be too difficult for Alexander-Arnold to ignore.
While Alexander-Arnold has largely remained silent about his future, Mohamed Salah has been much more candid.
The Egyptian king, 32, remains open to extending his stay at Anfield, but stated at the end of 2024 that he is still “far away” from reaching an agreement.
Salah is the club’s highest earning player, but the winger is proving once again this season that he is worth every penny.
The hype surrounding Alphonso Davies has calmed down since its peak in 2020, but there is no denying that the electric Canadian international remains one of Europe’s leading left-backs.
While he may not be as physically dominant as he once was, Davies has a skill set that very few possess at his position.
Bayern had already tried without success to retain the Canadian long-term. But Davies has been tempted by the interest of Actual Madrid.
Several Premier League clubs are also believed to be monitoring the situation, with Madrid remaining the left-back’s priority if he does not extend himself in Bavaria.
Liverpool’s latest musketeer is the Reds’ stalwart centre-back. The Dutchman has laughed off those who suggested he was in decline after returning from an ACL tear, and Virgil van Dijk re-established himself as the world’s best defender over the past 18 months.
Liverpool’s second highest paid has opted for the Salah route of piling on the pressure and it appears the Premier League leaders are prioritizing Van Dijk’s extension.
Of the three at Anfield, this seems the most likely to be achieved.
Joshua Kimmich once seemed destined to live out his best and final years at Bayern Munich, but the midfielder’s indifference over the past two seasons has seemingly convinced the German that a new challenge may be in order.
However, Kimmich has put in some standout performances this season and Bayern would do well to return to the negotiating table. The 29-year-old has another big contract on his hands.
If he resolves to move forward, Kimmich will have his fair share of admirers.
Leroy Sané showed his groundbreaking talent during the latter part of the 2023/24 season after emerging as a model of consistency during the opening act of the campaign.
However, the German may be hot and cold as injury setbacks refuse to help his cause in 2024. Bayern are fortunate to have a variety of star options, and Sané has featured sporadically under Vincent Kompany .
However, it seems that Bayern want to secure the 29-year-old before the summer.
Kevin De Bruyne flirted with leaving Manchester Metropolis for Saudi Arabia last summer, and the 2024/25 season may have been too much for the aging Belgian at the top level.
De Bruyne has struggled for fitness and consistency this season, and Metropolis have suffered as a result.
With the Cityzens requiring a major reshuffle in 2025, it looks more likely than ever that the 33-year-old, who turns 34 in June, will leave the Etihad Stadium after an astonishing decade-long career in the Premier League.
It was once considered inevitable that Son Heung-min would extend his stay in north London, but the South Korean’s form to close out 2024 has surely given Tottenham pause.
The 32-year-old has shown clear signs of physical decline over the past two seasons and has struggled amid a tough campaign for Spurs this season.
But chairman Daniel Levy will surely not let Son leave for nothing this summer, and the Lilywhites will have the option to activate a one-year extension on his current contract.
Jonathan David has been very consistent on the scoring front since joining Lille in 2020, but the Canadian has made an appreciable leap in recent years.
The forward scored 24 goals in Ligue 1 in 2022/23 and 19 in the following campaign. It appears to be on track to produce similar numbers this quarter as well.
David has long been admired by Europe’s elite and it finally looks like the out-of-contract striker will make the move in 2025.
Neymar is one of three generation-defining players whose contracts expire in 2025. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may also be on the move again, but the biggest question mark surrounds the Brazilian.
After a forgettable, but tremendously well-paid spell with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, the 32-year-old is surely made at the highest level, especially considering the injuries he has had to endure in recent years.
A rumored possible reunion with Messi in Miami is not impossible.
