Free agent market

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

For the first time ever. The summer will see a very big free agent market of much sort after talent.
I have two discussion points I'd like us to explore:

Do you believe Is this a trend going forward or not? That after long contracts top players will opt for free agency ?

Who do you think will be best placed to exploit it this summer and why?

 

[Zlatattack]

The big clubs, mainly because they have the money to pay the huge wages the best players will want and are the destination big players want to go. I think this will continue for a while now. I doubt the cost of a free transfer will ever be as a high as a regular transfer. Signing on bonuses and agents fees aren't going to be as expensive as buying buying a top top talent mid contract.

I think clubs will get stung for a while and then stop using high transfer fees as a barrier to letting a player move. Spurs and Harry Kane are the perfect example of how do get it wrong on both parts.

 

[Zlatattack]

I don't think our club will benefit from it though - we're poorly managed at the top. Otherwise we'd be all over names like Rudiger, Mazraoui, Kamara etc.

 

[Andycoleno9]

We are shit at it. I don't think that we are even trying to sign one of those players. Real and Psg on the other hand, will sign couple of them.

 

[VP89]

We are shit at it. I don't think that we are even trying to sign one of those players. Real and Psg on the other hand, will sign couple of them.

I don't think thats necessarily a good thing. Hard to argue against Messi not suited to Poch/PSG. Wjinaldum didn't work out either.
Also we brought in Cavani on a free, for what its worth.

 

[Pintu]

Wjinaldum didn't work out either.
Also we brought in Cavani on a free, for what its worth.

Cavani is old. Mourinho did it too by bringing in Zlatan. It’s like Barça taking Aguero, there is always a risk. Zlatan was a wonderful story while it lasted.

PSG getting Wijnaldum and Donnaruma at their peak is something else. It’s impressive. Like Alaba to Madrid.

Messi was a business move for Paris, nor purely football. When you think that Juventus paid 120 M for Ronaldo at a similar age, it makes Messi’s move a no-brainer.

 

[nuanced]

Do you believe Is this a trend going forward or not? That after long contracts top players will opt for free agency ?

This is trend is well entrenched by now IMO. Wenger predicted this when he was managing Arsenal, and Perez has been handing out 6+ year contracts for more than half a decade by now. The risk with going Bosman is that a player picks up a long term injury in the last 6 months of their contract, and then they're left out to dry. But somehow this doesn't happen too frequently for the top players. Valdes got screwed over by Monaco after he got injured around the end of his days at Barsa. Similar thing happened to Gundogan as well, I think. He ran out his Dortmund contract, but wasn't able to find a club in the summer due to his injury record. He re-signed with Dortmund, proved his fitness and moved to City soon.

If you consider the free transfers as the ultimate show of player/agent power in this day, then Raiola seems to have invented another subset of such power transfers where the players don't have to wait till the end of the contract.
Pogba to United, Haland to Dortmund, Mkhi to United are these types of transfers. The agent orchestrated and planned the players transfers well into the future, making sure to have buy-out clauses put in their first contracts. He has made big bucks for himself and the player, while still providing value (monetary or sporting) to the selling club.

Who do you think will be best placed to exploit it this summer and why?

Raiola and his players - He will make big bucks whenever Haland moves. He'll make money on Pogba as well, but he won't be maximizing the transfer value due to his performances. Zahavi seems to have woken from this slumber over the past few years, and has been working to move around Bayern players on a Bosman.

 

[Red Shorts]

Anyone know of a good list of who will be out of contract this summer?

 

[TheGame]

Worth noting that a free transfer just means there is no transfer fee. As with the players PSG signed, you can imagine there will be high wages, signing on fees, agent fees etc.

 

[VP89]

Cavani is old. Mourinho did it too by bringing in Zlatan. It’s like Barça taking Aguero, there is always a risk. Zlatan was a wonderful story while it lasted.

PSG getting Wijnaldum and Donnaruma at their peak is something else. It’s impressive. Like Alaba to Madrid.

Messi was a business move for Paris, nor purely football. When you think that Juventus paid 120 M for Ronaldo at a similar age, it makes Messi’s move a no-brainer.

From a footballing perspective, there are a few of your examples which didnt work out. Messi I think doesn't fit PSG, Ramos has been a bit of a crock, Wjinaldum didn't work out.

Free transfers are often free for a reason.

 

[Varun1]

I don't think our club will benefit from it though - we're poorly managed at the top. Otherwise we'd be all over names like Rudiger, Mazraoui, Kamara etc.

Actually think it's good management that we're not in for either: Different reports have claimed that Rudiger is asking for huge sums, reason why he hasn't renewed with Chelsea and Real haven't signed him yet. If he was that good and worth the money he's asking, there would be more teams in for him. Besides, we have 6 CBs at the club, we need to offload first.
We have Dalot, AWB and hopefully Laird for the RB position - do you expect another RB without outgoings?

Cavani is old. Mourinho did it too by bringing in Zlatan. It’s like Barça taking Aguero, there is always a risk. Zlatan was a wonderful story while it lasted.

PSG getting Wijnaldum and Donnaruma at their peak is something else. It’s impressive. Like Alaba to Madrid.

Messi was a business move for Paris, nor purely football. When you think that Juventus paid 120 M for Ronaldo at a similar age, it makes Messi’s move a no-brainer.

Wijnaldum hasn't exactly shone at PSG, and Donnaruma is a Raiola client, which says it all.

Bosman doesn't mean free, there are signing on fees, agent fees and huge wages.

 

[romufc]

Cavani is old. Mourinho did it too by bringing in Zlatan. It’s like Barça taking Aguero, there is always a risk. Zlatan was a wonderful story while it lasted.

PSG getting Wijnaldum and Donnaruma at their peak is something else. It’s impressive. Like Alaba to Madrid.

Messi was a business move for Paris, nor purely football. When you think that Juventus paid 120 M for Ronaldo at a similar age, it makes Messi’s move a no-brainer.

Since when is 22 a peak age for a goalkeeper?

Plus they are on like 250k plus bonuses a week so, its not really that impressive when Wijnaldum isn't even happy.

Other examples include Rabiot, Ramsey.

Free transfers are more often than not chasing money over footballing reasons. You don't leave Liverpool at the peak to reject Barca for PSG.

It is clear only one thing motivates those players.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Anyone know of a good list of who will be out of contract this summer?

Contracts expiring | Transfermarkt

 

[Red Shorts]

Contracts expiring | Transfermarkt

First site I looked at but couldnt find section, cheers mate!

Wowzer, that is some free agent market. FM players would have a field day

 

[Lastwolf]

I think it's something we'll see more of going forward.

Most clubs that don't have a buy to sell model are rejecting big transfers (an even they are wanting 50m+), Tottenham turned down 100mil on Kane, Dortmund, without a release clause, would be looking 150 for Haaland easy. The total packages for signing these players and ones of their ilk will be dramatic, if wages and agent fees included. No-one wanted to pay Pogba and pay for him, we know this cause he and Rioala have pushed for the last 5 years and we didn't want to sell, the only way he's going anywhere is free agency.

 

[Lecland07]

Sean Longstaff is available - the dream can come true

 

[Plant0x84]

Sean Longstaff is available - the dream can come true

David Brooks too. Sometimes the long game pays off. Who’s laughing at Woodie now?!

 

[Andycoleno9]

I don't think thats necessarily a good thing. Hard to argue against Messi not suited to Poch/PSG. Wjinaldum didn't work out either.
Also we brought in Cavani on a free, for what its worth.

Yes, but this summer you have top players in best years; Mbappe, Brozovic, Pogba, Rudiger, Kessie, Dybala, Sule....
Not to mention some old short term options like Modric.

We can get whole new midfiekd for free ffs (yes, yes i know it is not for free free but still no transfer fee)

 

[Bilbo]

For the first time ever. The summer will see a very big free agent market of much sort after talent.
I have two discussion points I'd like us to explore:

Do you believe Is this a trend going forward or not? That after long contracts top players will opt for free agency ?

Who do you think will be best placed to exploit it this summer and why?

Without a doubt, and it's really only now that we are starting to see the full impact that agents have had, and are having, on football.

 

[TheReligion]

Some of the interesting ones for me (aside from the obvious) although admittedly not seen much of them lately;

Isco at 29 - He was fantastic. What’s going on here?

Brozovic
Mazraoui
Onana
Bernadeschi
Tolisso
Bereteon Diaz

 

[Andycoleno9]

Some of the interesting ones for me (aside from the obvious) although admittedly not seen much of them lately;

Isco at 29 - He was fantastic. What’s going on here?

Brozovic
Mazraoui
Onana
Bernadeschi
Tolisso
Bereteon Diaz

I don't understand why we don't go for Broz. He is exactly what we need. Dmc playmaker. And he is free ffs.

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

Is there a decent DM among the free agents?

Seen a bit of Kamare in YT and read some analysis of him, not sure he can translate all that into PL.

I've seen Brozovic with Inter in a lot of games since I follow Inter if United isn't playing, and although he is quality he is 29 now, so might not be a good option age wise (thinking of long term DM here).

What else is out there?

 

[Gandalf]

I don't understand why we don't go for Broz. He is exactly what we need. Dmc playmaker. And he is free ffs.

He is supposedly not looking to leave and it is a matter of time before he renews at Inter, that is the talk from the club and the player himself. I think his age would be a red flag now too. I expect we are going to be focusing on younger, dynamic players rather than veterans who might be about to decline.

 

[George Owen]

I don't understand why we don't go for Broz. He is exactly what we need. Dmc playmaker. And he is free ffs.

Maybe we will? I hope we will.

We would have to offer him Martial level money, but this guy obviously does deserves it, as he paid his dues as footballer.

 

[Andycoleno9]

He is supposedly not looking to leave and it is a matter of time before he renews at Inter, that is the talk from the club and the player himself. I think his age would be a red flag now too. I expect we are going to be focusing on younger, dynamic players rather than veterans who might be about to decline.

He is 29 ffs. How is that a veteran?

 

[Gandalf]

He is 29 ffs. How is that a veteran?

Will be 30 this year and is a known smoker. I was interested last summer and even started a thread on him when Inter were having their fire sale as he could have been had for around 20M and we were thinking a CDM was the missing piece to make our team work and win right now. I think we can recognize we are further away than we had hoped and that signing a guy just shy of his 30th birthday would be the opposite of planning for the future. I would not hate it if he came here but I would not want us paying a big signing on fee or offering more than a 2 year deal as we have recent experience with Matic of a player declining rapidly as they hi their thirties.

 

[RedBanker]

First site I looked at but couldnt find section, cheers mate!

Wowzer, that is some free agent market. FM players would have a field day

Right click and offer a contract

 

[Pep's Suit]

Can't help but most of these free agents were underperforming for some time now or this will be their last big contract. I'm sure Barca/Real/PSG love to offer crazy wages so they'll be after Kessie, Pogba, Rudiger or Sule but I don't expect City and Pool to sign any of them.

 

[Red Shorts]

Right click and offer a contract

You know the gig .

I swear you can make a 1st XI out of the free agents and it would give our team a run for their money!