5 most valuable players who are out of contracts next summer
With a hoard of players leaving their teams on free transfers this season, interested clubs will already be lining up potential targets whose contracts end in 2022. Due to the ongoing pandemic, renegotiation of contracts have proven to be a herculean task for multiple European powerhouses.
While Barcelona are struggling to pay the current salaries of their employees, let alone revise terms with them, PSG have had a field day in the transfer market.
The French giants managed to sign Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and the 'goat' Lionel Messi for a combined fee of zero. Considering the sheer number of free transfers this season, it is clear that clubs will be looking to sign more out-of-contract players come 2022.
The current contractual situation of some notable players
Real Madrid recently tied first-team players Dani Carvajal and Thibaut Courtois on long-term deals, securing their goalkeeping and right-back posts for the near future. Luka Modric also accepted a one-year extension to his current contract, which was supposed to run out earlier this summer. Karim Benzema has also signed a revised deal with Los Blancos, extending his stay until 2023.
Despite shrugging off rumors about a potential move away from Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to commit to a new deal in Turin. The Portuguese veteran is set to become a free agent next summer if no middle ground is reached with the Bianconeri over a new deal.
With the theme of expiring contracts on our minds, let's take a look at five of the most valuable players whose current deals are cited to run out in 2022:
#5 Ansu Fati - €60m (Barcelona)
Kicking off the list is teenage sensation Ansu Fati. The Spaniard would've ranked much higher a few weeks earlier, but his stock has taken a serious hit due to his long-term injury. Fati last appeared for Barcelona in November 2020 against Real Betis in a La Liga clash. The youngster suffered a meniscal laceration on that fateful day, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Prior to his spell at the treatment table, Fati had displayed excellent signs of progression. Since making his first-team debut in 2019, the talented playmaker has experienced a meteoric rise. Fati broke multiple records following that, becoming Barcelona's youngest ever debutant in both La Liga and the Champions League.
His brilliant performances in his first season compelled Barcelona to offer the young prodigy a senior contract last season. Still just 18, Fati has a long and prosperous career ahead of him if he manages to maintain a sturdy fitness record. Whether that future lies in Catalonia or not is yet to be confirmed, with his current contract poised to expire in the summer of 2022.
#4 Paul Pogba - €60m (Manchester United)
Probably one of the most enigmatic players currently plying their trade in the Premier League, Paul Pogba has had his fair share of trouble in the past five years. Graduating from the fabled Manchester United academy, the French midfielder was allowed to leave on a free transfer to Juventus in the summer of 2012. That decision came back to haunt the Red Devils as they were forced to splash out a club-record €105m in 2016 to sign him back.
Ever since his return to Old Trafford, Pogba has attracted an equal number of admirers as well as critics. The midfielder is often labeled as the sole factor behind United's recent misery. However, this statement could not be further from the truth. A victim of his own versatility, Pogba has shone whenever he is deployed alongside adept defensive midfielders. The flashy box-to-box middle-man thrives on the occasions where he is allowed to explore the advanced regions of the pitch according to his liking.
In Manchester United's opener against Leeds, Pogba laid out a record four assists, silencing all his doubters. With his contract due to expire next year, the French World Cup winner will be on the shopping list of many elite clubs. Manchester United will have to act fast to secure Pogba on a long-term contract soon if they don't want to lose him on a free transfer.
Also read: 5 players with the highest combined transfer fees (2021)