Lionel Messi 17th & Mohamed Salah 3rd – The most valuable players out of contract in 2025

​

Three Liverpool stars in top 10 

©TM/IMAGO

With the dust now beginning to settle after a dramatic January transfer window, football clubs and their respective fans will be 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 sports biggest stars depart their current clubs for absolutely 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 deny.

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 178 goals, but has been linked with a summer move to the Saudi Pro League. In third is Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies – the 24-year-old Canadian has a market value of €50m, but is now widely expected to sign a new deal with the German giants. However, next on the list is team mate Joshua Kimmich in fifth – also boasting a €50m market value – who has rather curiously not signed a new deal with the club yet. 

Sixth place goes to Lille striker Jonathan David, with the 24 year old having a current market value of €45m. In sixth 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 Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, with a market value of €35m. Bayer Leverkusen’s 28-year-old defender Jonathan Tah comes in ninth with a €30m market value, with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk completing the top 10, being worth €28m.

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 two of the world’s best full-backs in Alexander-Arnold and Davies. Kimmich then holds the midfield. In front of him, the creative force that is De Bruyne, is joined by Napoli midfielder Frank 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.