Which Premier League Stars are Out of Contract in the Summer?
A look at free agents set to be on the market.
The January transfer window was a relatively quiet one by the Premier League’s extortionate standards. Only Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur from the league’s traditional Big Six’s made any signings, with the former adding both Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi and the latter swooping for Conor Gallagher and young Brazilian fullback Souza. None of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, or Manchester City, however, made any new additions whatsoever.
But a quiet January window usually means one thing: a slew of huge transfers set to follow in the summer. While whopping fees will be spent on massive names and young stars who make names for themselves at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, several players are currently set to be available for absolutely nothing as their contracts expire. So, who are the biggest names poised for free transfers this summer? Let’s take a look.
Ibrahima Konaté
French defender Ibrahima Konaté has been crucial to Liverpool’s success in recent years. The former RB Leipzig man was instrumental alongside captain Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the Reds’ defence as the club won the Premier League title last season. This term, however, he has come in for criticism, having made some mistakes that have seen the Merseysiders slip down the table, prompting websites that allow one to place a football online bet to make the reigning champions mighty 100/1 outsiders to defend their crown.
Liverpool’s loss has been Arsenal’s gain. The Gunners currently sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League’s summit, and as we approach the final third of the campaign, the latest Premiership odds make Mikel Arteta’s men a 4/11 favourite to win the title for the first time in 22 years. But who looks set to gain from Konaté’s expiring contract? All of Europe’s big boys are thought to be interested in the centre half, with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Barcelona rumoured to be on the hunt last summer. Should any of them decide to pounce, it will be quite the challenge for Arne Slot to keep the Frenchman at Anfield beyond June.
Bernardo Silva
When one thinks of Manchester City’s golden era, naturally, the mind goes to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, and David Silva, but has anyone been more important to the Blues’ success than Bernardo Silva? Since arriving from Monaco in the summer of 2017 for £43.5m, the Portuguese wizard has been instrumental to Pep Guardiola’s side. His passing, dribbling, and newfound tenacity in midfield have helped him win everything the beautiful game has to win: Six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and that maiden UEFA Champions League crown in 2023.
This summer, however, the former Benfica man’s contract at the Etihad comes to an end, and if recent transfers are anything to go by, Catalonia could be about to come calling. Barcelona coveted Silva hard in 2022 and 2023, and three years on, they will never have a better chance to get their man as his contract comes to an end. The Blaugrana are expected to be at the front of the queue this summer, while Juventus and Galatasaray are also thought to be interested.
Another that has thrown its name into the mix is Inter Miami, and the lure of playing with Lionel Messi in his retirement years could prove to be an enticing option.