Top 5 players who left on a free transfer
The transfer market is where a club goes to for repairing its team. Football clubs for the past few years have been spending an astronomical amount of money on players who they think will be their catalyst for success.
However, playing smartly in the transfer market is more important than just spending a lot of money on whoever is available. The history of the football transfer window is filled with bargains and smart buys, which have greatly helped the clubs grow. During the past few seasons, Juventus and Liverpool are prime examples of this strategy to buy cheap and smart, rather than to splash the cash.
Also read - 10 best deadline day signings in PL history
In this list, we take a look at players who were allowed to leave their club for free and then succeeded in their next club. Some of the smartest pieces of business in football are listed here -
#5 James Milner - Liverpool
To be fair, Manchester City were not entirely wrong in letting James Milner go in 2015. The midfielder was 29 at the time and the Cityzens had the cash to spend on more creative players who they thought would replace Milner. However, the club never anticipated the success which the English midfielder would have at Liverpool.
In 2015, Liverpool were not a force to be reckoned with - and then Jurgen Klopp happened. Fast forward four years later, and the former Leeds United player is now the vice-captain of the European champions. Milner won the Premier League twice with Manchester City, but now he has two European trophies with Liverpool, which is two more than his former club have.
The English international has been a consummate professional for the Reds, fitting in wherever required. A versatile player who inspires his teammates with his work ethic, James Milner is one of the better free transfers of this era.