5 best free agents top clubs can sign
With less than a month left for the season to end, all clubs have started shortlisting players they look to sign as the summer transfer window rolls around. In times where the market is so inflated the new normal price for a player starts at around £40 million. Not all clubs can shell out huge sums of money to reinforce their squads before the start of the next season.
Loads of ageing players have their contracts running out at the end of the season. Signing these seasoned veterans brings a sense of calmness to the squad as they've been there and done that. They've seen it all and more over the club can sign a player for no transfer fee at all, allowing them to possibly reinvest the money elsewhere in the team.
That being said here are the top 5 free agents heading into the summer transfer window.
#5 Vincent Kompany
Manchester City captain and Premier League royalty, Vincent Kompany has been one of the best Premier League defenders since his arrival back in '08. He has been the constant through the ups and downs as City rose from being the noisy neighbours to be streaks ahead of their rivals both on and off the field.
Injuries have certainly taken a toll on him but Pep Guardiola has looked to his captain in crunch games this season. Impressive displays against Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and the Cup final against Chelsea shows that he still has gas left in the tank.
There have been talks of City giving him a contract extension, but if not he certainly can bring a lot to any side, both on and off the field. On the verge of winning his 4th Premier League title, Vincent will always be a Mancunian even if he decides to leave this season.
#4 Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud has established himself as one of the best target men the Premier league has ever seen. His link-up play has been used by managers at the club and national level. Having won trophies at Arsenal, Chelsea and France, Giroud would be a useful inclusion to any squad in Europe. His performances at the World Cup showed that he has so much more to provide to the team than just goals.
As his contract runs down at Chelsea, a move back home to France as the loan signing of Higuain has seen his game time reduce massively, leaving him rather frustrated. Great performances in the Europa League build a case for him to be the first choice striker at the club.
No agreement has been reached yet with any club and with Chelsea's transfer ban looming large, letting him leave on a free could be a mistake that they regret in the future. That being said, at 32, Giroud still has something to give at the very top level and could be an astute signing looking for goals coming off the bench.