Players seek new challenge to move elsewhere and prove their mettle. Some of them do not wish to sign a new contract with the current club, and receive plenty offers across the world. They pick the best from the lot.
Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski are three deals which spring to mind when the word “free transfer” is brought up. In today’s crazy transfer market, players available for free is a golden chance for various clubs to pounce and wrap up the deal as soon as possible.
5. Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Jan Vertonghen started his footballing career with the Belgian club Beerschot AC. Looking at his immense talent, Dutch heavyweights Ajax decided to add him to their roster at the age of 16. He spent three years at the famous De Godenzonen academy in Amsterdam.
In the quest of playing regularly, the 31-year-old went to Netherlands club RKC Waalwijk on a six-month loan deal. He featured 12 times for them, but that was not enough to keep the club in the Dutch top division. 2007/08 was the breakthrough season for Jan Vertonghen at Ajax and he partnered with the former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen at the back. Spending six years with the club, he went on to make 220 appearances in the Dutch top division.
4. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain)
Adrien Rabiot’s early days as a footballer was riddled with failure, struggling to find a suitable club. He had spells at Creteil, Alfortville, Manchester City, and Pau before signing for French top division outfit Paris Saint Germain in 2010.
Carlo Ancelotti handed the debut to the French midfielder in 2012 against Bordeaux in a 0-0 draw at Parc Des Princes. However, he was loaned out to Toulouse that January to gain more top-flight football experience.
3. Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Antony Martial is a product of Olympique Lyon. The French forward spent four years in the east of the country before switching to Monaco during the summer of 2013. The 22-year-old started to hit headlines at the French club. He is blessed with the uncanny abilities to beat the defenders with pace and trickery and bagging in goals.
Witnessing his extraordinary potential, former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal decided to break the bank for the young forward. It cost £56m for the English giants to lure him to Old Trafford. He announced his debut in style by scoring a fantastic solo goal against arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League.
Martial was the integral cog of Van Gaal’s attacking front line and netted 17 goals in his debut campaign. But, failure to finish in a Champions League place forced Manchester United to sack their manager.
2. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)
Like his compatriot Jan Vertonghen, Beerschot AC was the club which nurtured Toby Alderweireld at the young age. During the summer of 2004, the Belgian defender moved to Netherlands side Ajax, which was a year later after Jan moved there.
It took four years for Alderweireld to break into the first team from the academy. The Belgian defender scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over Heracles in 2009. During his stay at Ajax, he attracted interest from various parts of Europe, but Diego Simeone was quick the wrap up the deal in 2013.
1. David de Gea (Manchester United)
Born in Madrid, David De Gea rose up through the ranks of Atletico Madrid. He made his senior debut in 2009 and played a big part in Atletico’s Europa League and Super Cup success in 2010. He played for his boyhood club 84 times in these two years.
David De Gea grew up admiring Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel. Sir Alex Ferguson flew to Madrid to make this deal happen when Edwin Van Der Sar decided to hang up his boots. During the summer of 2011, the English giants signed the Atletico keeper for a fee of 18 million when he was just 19.