The best players with expiring contracts in the summer of 2025

Some top players' last campaign at their present clubs will be this season, and we could have many out-of-contract superstars in 2025.

Sergio Ramos, Wissam Ben Yedder, Joel Matip, and Dele Alli, among others, remain free agents after leaving their former clubs last season.

Football teams are now favouring the signing of much younger players who will offer them a lot of value in the long term.

This means far more experienced players and stars in their late twenties risk being released by their clubs.

These teams typically have younger replacements in their groups or sign them from the market to bolster their squads.

In 2025, several high-profile players would be out of contract at the biggest clubs in European football.

Some of these teams are working hard behind the scenes to get their players on new deals, while others have not began talks just yet.

This article covers the big-name stars who could be free agents by the end of the 2024/2025 season, including their age and market value from Transfermarkt.

Trent Alexander Arnold, Liverpool, 26, €70.00m

 It is hugely surprising that Liverpool has still not gotten Trent Alexander Arnold on a new contract at this stage of the season.

The defender is 26 and seems to be one of the players who misses Jurgen Klopp the most, even though he remains a prominent member of the group under Arne Slot.

Liverpool can feel that Real Madrid wants to pursue an interest in Trent, yet the Reds have still not offered the 26-year-old a new deal.

He is one of several Reds stars who the club is wondering if they should hand a new contract, but Trent is too young for that to even be a conversation.

Leroy Sane, Bayern Munich, 28, €60.00m

Sane is another high-profile player who could be a free agent at the end of this season, and it seems Bayern Munich is prepared to offload him.

They have improved their squad with some new players, including Michael Olise and will not struggle if Sane leaves.

He already is not a regular and they have Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman as two other experienced wingers in the team.

However, at 28, Sane remains one of the best attackers in the world and it would be interesting to see the next team he joins.

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, 32, €55.00m

One man who has made Liverpool tickets sell in the last few seasons is Mohamed Salah, yet this could be his final campaign at the club.

The Reds rejected a huge bid for his signature in 2023 and he was not keen on leaving at the time. He still is not and insists his future remains in the hands of the club.

Is Liverpool looking to lose one of their biggest-ever players even though he is already 32? That seems to be the case.

While he remains a key player under Arne Slot, Liverpool seems to be happy for Salah to leave them at the end of this season for nothing.

One of the top clubs on the continent could pick him up, but at his age, his best chance is to renew his deal or move to Saudi Arabia.

Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich, 23, €50.00m

Bayern Munich looks set to lose Davies to Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of this season after failing to get the Canadian on a new contract.

Davies has been at his best and at the highest level of football for so long that fans forget that he is just 23.

The left-back is one of the players that the Bayern fans hope will perform well and help them to win back the Bundesliga this season.

Vincent Kompany might also want to prepare for life without him because this looks very likely to be his last season in Munich following deadlocked contract talks and a missed chance to sell him in the summer.

Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich, 29, €50.00m

Kimmich is probably the biggest name among the players who have sold most Bayern Munich tickets and could leave the club at the end of this season.

The midfielder is now a leader in the Bayern side, and he will currently play in any starting XI in the world.

Among the quality players who will be free agents at Bayern in the summer, Kimmich is probably the most important one they do not want to lose no matter what happens.

Kompany would need his leadership skills and experience to build a successful team in Bavaria, and we expect the club to reach an agreement and extend his contract soon.

Jonathan David, Lille, 24, €45.00m

It is a surprise that David is running down his contract at Lille because his consistent goalscoring form should have earned him a move to a top club before now.

Signed as a replacement for Victor Osimhen, David could end this season as a much bigger player for the French club, and we expect him to find a new team to join soon.

In January, he can officially speak to foreign teams and the likes of Arsenal, Juventus, AC Milan and several others have been linked with a move for him.

At 24, he can still sign a long-term deal at any big club, and he may not have reached the peak of his career just yet.

Jonathan Tah, Bayer Leverkusen, 28, €30.00m

Bayern Munich did all they could to sign Tah in the last two transfer windows, but Leverkusen has shown they mean business and refused to sell.

They are willing to let him run down his contract instead of strengthening their main rival, but the 28-year-old is set to move to Bayern at the end of this term eventually.

His fine form at the back helped Leverkusen to become the champions of Germany last season and we expect other clubs to try to hijack Bayern’s move for his signature.

Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City, 33, €45.00m

De Bruyne is set to run down his contract at Manchester City and the Citizens have a huge decision to make about the Belgian.

He has remained one of their key players and has combined well with Erling Haaland to continue providing goals for the Citizens.

The 33-year-old was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the last transfer window, and Manchester City could allow him to leave in the summer.

So many players have helped City to sell many match tickets since the club became a Premier League force, but Kevin de Bruyne will go down as one of the biggest stars they have had in the last two decades.

Neymar, Al Hilal, 32, €30.00m 

After signing a contract worth  €150m a year at Al Hilal, Neymar played only three league games for the Saudi Pro League club before sustaining a major injury that has sidelined him for around a year.

The Brazilian superstar remains the prince who never became a king of football, but he is certainly one of the best talents we have ever watched in the game.

After becoming one of the players the Champions League lost to the Saudi Pro League, his contract at the Saudi club is to last for two seasons, which means he will become a free agent at the end of this campaign.

We have not seen much of him since he moved to the Middle East, and the Saudis might consider extending his contract, perhaps on a smaller salary, because Neymar remains a very talented player.

Paulo Dybala, AS Roma, 30, €20.00m

Since he left Juventus Dybala has not been as prominent as he was during his time with the Old Lady, but he remains one of the finest talents of his generation.

Dybala continues to deliver important performances for Roma, even though he is injury-prone, which could make them decide against offering him a new contract.

The attacker rejected a move to Saudi Arabia at the start of this season, but he could reconsider that decision in the summer or move back to Argentina because he might not find a top European club to trust him.

Thomas Partey, Arsenal, 31, €18.00m

After being injury-prone for so many years, Partey has been very fit for much of this season and that hands Arsenal a dilemma over his future.

His contract expires at the end of this term, and he is 31. Is he worth keeping for another term?

The Gunners have signed Mikel Merino, who could replace Partey, but for the sake of squad depth, it might be smart to keep the former Atletico Madrid midfielder.

However, Partey might have to reduce his salary to be accommodated by the Gunners.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, 33, €30.00m

It could be a crime to finish this list without adding Van Dijk. Liverpool has still not opened talks over an extension for him, but the Dutchman remains one of their best players.

Despite his age, he is a starter at Liverpool and continues to deliver world-class performances for the Reds whenever he steps on the pitch.

Several top clubs would jump at the chance to add him to their squad if he becomes a free agent, but he would prefer to remain at Anfield.

Conclusion

In the summer of 2025, several big names would be free to find new clubs, and some may struggle to get new ones.

These are the biggest stars we think are running down their deal and probably need new contracts.