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

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Three Liverpool stars in top 10 

©TM/IMAGO

With the 2024/25 football season now in full flow, a number of top players are entering the last six months of their contracts. The prospect of losing valuable assets for free next summer will spark panic amongst senior club figures and decisions will need to be made on their futures and quick. Some clubs may attempt to convince their stars to sign new deals, while others could look to sell-up in this January transfer window to avoid them leaving for nothing six months later.

The free agent market is extremely attractive to potential buyers and clubs will be able to officially approach players that aren’t playing for teams in their own leagues on January 1, when they have just six months left on their contracts. With so many players now having just six months left of their deals, we’ve analysed the most valuable players with contracts expiring in the summer of 2025, and there are a number of top quality talents that could be available on a free transfer come July 1. 

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 next 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 33-year-old Mohamed Salah with a market value of €55m. He is the club’s all-time top Premier League scorer with 170 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. Bayern’s dominance over the list continues, with 29-year-old midfielder Joshua Kimmich in fifth – also boasting a €50m market value. 

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 €60m. 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 Tottenham’s Heung-min Son in seventh and Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne in eighth, with respective market values of €38m and €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.