Ranking the 10 most valuable players who are set to be free agents in 2022
Free agents, as the name suggests, are players who are free to join a club of their choice, as they are not contracted with any club. That usually happens when a player runs down his contract, or both parties end the contract by mutual consent.
Free transfers have become the preferred mode of player transfer for clubs after the COVID-19 pandemic wrecked the finances of most teams. Many clubs have treaded this route to land high-profile targets like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gianluigi Donnarumma, to name a few.
Meanwhile, many top players are currently in the final year of their contracts. If they don't sign contract extensions soon, their parent clubs may be powerless to stop these players from moving out on free transfers.
On that note, here's a look at the ten most valuable players who are slated to become free agents in 2022.
#10 Andrea Belotti (Torino) - €35 million
Euro 2020 winner Andrea Belotti is all set to end his seven-season stint with Torino next summer.
As confirmed by the club's manager Ivan Juric, the striker won't sign a contract extension with the Turin-based club. Belotti will stay put at Torino until the end of the season before he embarks on a new challenge.
Italian striker Andrea Belotti is prepared to leave Torino as free agent in June. Torino manager Ivan Juric confirms: “Belotti won’t sign the contract extension”. 🇮🇹 #transfers
“Andrea is not gonna leave in January. He’ll decide his future in June”, Juric added. #Belotti
The 27-year-old has been a solid performer for Torino over the years, netting over 100 times across competitions in 236 appearances. He has scored twice in eight games this season.
#9 Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich) - €35 million
Niklas Sule has been a key player for Bayern Munich, especially this season under Julian Nagelsman.
The 26-year-old recently played his 150th game across competitions for the Bavarian giants. However, the four-time Bundesliga winner was reportedly close to leaving Bayern when Niko Kovac was the manager.
Sule hasn't signed a contract extension yet, so the possibility remains that he could leave Bavaria next summer as a free agent.
Niklas Süle thought about leaving FC Bayern in 2018-2019 (as revealed by the WhatsApp messages) essentially because of Niko Kovač. Although he was a starter before his injury, Süle didn't feel comfortable under Kovač, just like Müller, Boateng, Kimmich.. [@kerry_hau, @spox] https://t.co/qmGqhbNBiS
However, Sule has enjoyed a prominent role under Nagelsmann this season, playing 17 games across competitions. This could see him decide to put pen to paper on a new deal with Bayern.
#8 Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) - €35 million
Andreas Christensen has largely been a fringe player at Chelsea, making only 140 appearances across competitions since joining them seven years ago.
Nevertheless, he was part of The Blues' team that won the Champions League last season. The Dane has made 13 appearances across competitions this season, suggesting he could yet have a role to play under Thomas Tuchel.
Christensen has yet to agree to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. But it has emerged that the tall centre-back is on the cusp of agreeing a new deal with Chelsea.
Chelsea have an agreement in place with Andreas Christensen to extend his contract. Matter of time to sign paperworks, after final clauses to be fixed 🔵🇩🇰 #CFC
Two clubs showed interest in Christensen in the last weeks - but no chance for talks as he’s set to sign the new deal.
For now, though, Christensen remains one of the most valuable players who could become free agents next summer.
#7 Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan) - €40 million
Marcelo Brozovic has been a key player for Inter Milan since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2014.
The defensive midfielder played a key role in the Nerazzurri's first Serie A triumph in 11 years last season. Brozovic excelled in defensive midfield and also chipped in with two goals and six assists.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there have been disagreements between both parties regarding a contract extension. That has alerted the likes of Tottenham Hotspur to Brozovic's situation.
Distance Between Marcelo Brozovic & Inter On Salary In Contract Talks As Spurs Step Up Interest, Italian Media Report #InterMilan #FCIM sempreinter.com/2021/11/07/dis…
Nevertheless, it is likely Inter may not want to let one of their key players leave for free next summer.