Lionel Messi 14th, Mohamed Salah 2nd – The most valuable players out of contract in 2025

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Three Liverpool stars in top 10 

©TM/IMAGO

With the European club season’s run-in on the horizon, football clubs and their respective fans will begin turning their attention towards deals that can be made in the summer transfer window. While that often means even larger transfer fees, some of the smarter clubs across Europe’s top five leagues will be keeping tabs on top talents with expiring contracts. And in 2025 we could see some of the sport’s biggest stars depart their current clubs for free.  

In first place as the most valuable player entering the last year of his current contract is Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool right-back has a market value of €75m, and has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer. He is the current vice captain at Anfield, and has been at the club since he was six years old, progressing through the various youth teams to become a key player at Liverpool. He has won both the Champions League and the Premier League with the Reds, but the opportunity to join ‘Los Blancos’ and be the successor to Dani Carvajal may be too tempting to reject.

In second is another Liverpool star in 32-year-old Mohamed Salah with a market value of €55m. He is the club’s all-time top Premier League scorer with 184 goals, but has been linked with a summer move to the Saudi Pro League. In third is Lille striker Jonathan David, with the 25 year old having a current market value of €45m. In fourth place is Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané with a market value of €45m. The former Manchester City player has been linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs including Manchester United. He is followed by Bayer Leverkusen’s 28-year-old defender Jonathan Tah in fifth with a €30m market value.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk takes sixth position, being worth €28m. The Dutchman has been a key part of the Red’s pursuit of the Premier League title, but his future remains uncertain. In seventh place is PSV defender Olivier Boscagli, worth €27m. Also worth €27m, in eighth and ninth are Napoli midfielder Frank Anguissa and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Completing the top 10 is Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes – worth €25m. Other renowned star such as Lionel Messi (market value: €20m) and Neymar (€15m) also have contracts expiring this summer.

As illustrated in the graphic above, if we combine an XI of the most valuable players running out of contract next summer, it creates a fearsome line-up. Napoli’s Alex Meret is in between the sticks. The experience of Tah and Van Dijk at centre-back is flanked by one of the world’s best full-backs in Alexander-Arnold and a solid left-back in Tyrick Mitchell. Gomes then holds the midfield. In front of him, the creative force that is De Bruyne, joined by Napoli midfielder Anguissa. Then the front three pits Salah and Sané on the wings, with David through the middle. It showcases that there is plenty of talent that could be available on a free transfer on July 1, 2025.