The winter transfer window is closed. While some clubs managed to cash in on their upcoming out-of-contract talent, others are playing chicken with a new deal or are simply happy for their expiring players to leave.
There are some interesting free agents to choose from when the season finishes, even without Dayot Upamecano, who has reportedly agreed to end his contract saga and stay on with Bayern Munich.
So without further ado, here are the top 10 free agents for the 2026 summer transfer window.
10. Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid
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Persistent injuries are likely to call time on Antonio Rudiger’s career with Real Madrid.
The German defender, 32, has already sat out over 20 matches this season, and although Los Blancos have looked shaky at the back, it feels like the club has begun to move on.
Rudiger has been an excellent servant across multiple trophy wins, but his fitness at the back of this campaign will determine the level of club willing to take him on.
Whoever fronts up his next contract will be wary of offering too much for too long, just in case the combative centre-back doesn’t hit top gear again.
9. Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid
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There may be a fair bit of extra interest in Casemiro these days.
The Brazil international was brutally written off during his second season with Manchester United, but things have changed: His excellent form even forcing Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher to walk back his comments that “the football has left him.”
Casemiro deserves a ton of praise. He’s fitter and leaner than he was during his poor spell. United don’t concede as many goals when he’s on the pitch, and his threat from set-pieces showed itself again in the dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham.
The 33-year-old once seemed destined for MLS or Saudi Arabia. You can bet European teams are weighing up bringing him in after such a noticeable turnaround.
8. Dušan Vlahović, Juventus
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Dušan Vlahović probably hasn’t developed into the player many expected, but he is a quality striker who is available for free in the summer. That’s a deal worth looking at in a limited market of goalscorers.
The 26-year-old still has plenty to offer. He has been in and out of the Juventus starting lineup this season, but has six goals in 10 starts and seven substitute appearances across Serie A and the Champions League.
Vlahović may be well-suited to the Premier League, where his physicality and finishing ability could help teams that need a little extra firepower.
7. Ibrahima Konaté, Liverpool
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It’s fair to say things haven’t gone as planned for Ibrahima Konaté this season, despite his emotional goal in the weekend’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United.
Reported interest from Real Madrid cooled alongside a run of high-profile mistakes for Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s side were also publicly in the market for Marc Guehi before his move to Manchester City. Failure to sign the defender saw the Reds go big for Rennes starlet Jeremy Jacquet, who will likely take Konaté’s place when he arrives next season.
That doesn’t mean the France international won’t have several suitors if he becomes available for free. He’s a dominant force and a confidence player.
Anfield might be too tough of an ask to get back into that form, but he could showcase his strengths elsewhere.
6. Harry Maguire, Manchester United
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Fair play to Harry Maguire. Few players have received the level of criticism as the Manchester United defender. Even fewer would have stayed quiet, worked hard while out of the team and returned with some of the best form of his career.
The England international represents a difficult decision for United. He’s on a substantial £190,000-per-week deal and is 33 in March. His resilience may lead whoever is the Red Devils’ manager next season to see him as important for the transition period. Yet, the club is in a moment when it needs to move on from the old guard.
It feels like a decent end to Maguire’s time at Old Trafford would be for him to continue playing well and earn a move to a club that would fit him into the starting line-up every week.
A Lewis Dunk-style role somewhere in the Premier League could be perfect.
5. Bernardo Silva, Manchester City
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It almost seems impossible to imagine Bernardo Silva away from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The Portugal international has quietly assumed the role of being the club’s beating heart in a post-David Silva midfield. Although he’s not the creative force he once was, Bernardo’s movement and sharpness when keeping possession ticking over are still valuable for the City setup.
Will the 31-year-old be part of the club’s next phase? It’s difficult to say, as Guardiola has shown a tendency to play more directly in recent times.
With Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Savinho, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki fighting for places, there may come a time soon when Bernardo’s passive quality feels out of place at the Etihad Stadium.
That’s good news for any other clubs that want a smart and surprisingly aggressive midfield to control play.
4. Robert Lewandowski, FC Barcelona
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Hitting the age of 33 or 34 used to make you “old” in football. Robert Lewandowski is part of the reason that argument does not hold up in the modern game.
The Poland international will be 38 in the summer, and on current evidence, he’ll still be banging them in.
Lewandowski is going to be an incredibly difficult player to replace for Barcelona. He’s currently working at a goal or assist every other game. More than that, he’s a leader in a young Blaugrana team that is naturally prone to ups and downs.
You have to think MLS or Saudi Arabia will be his next step. He could easily maintain his scoring numbers, battle for trophies and earn a fair wedge if he decides to drop down a level for a contract that likely gets him to his 40s.
3. Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich
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Leon Goretzka has confirmed he will be a free agent in the summer. Multiple big-name teams are likely to offer the Bayern midfielder a deal, as it’s not often a player of his quality becomes available with ample playing time still ahead of him.
Reports suggest Atletico Madrid led the charge in January, while the Premier League and Serie A have been mentioned as possible destinations by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.
Goretzka, 30, is a rare breed; physically strong, box-to-box and will easily cut it anywhere he decides to go.
With Casemiro departing Manchester United in the summer, perhaps it even makes sense that he steps into the role of being the serial winner who can bring character to the club’s midfield.
Goretzka’s signature will be hotly contested unless he has a specific destination in mind and may well be one of the coups of the summer.
2. Julian Brandt, Borussia Dortmund
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Most teams could use Julian Brandt’s talent. It’s unfathomable that he will be 30 in the summer. Time has flown, and his talent has endured into yet another quality season for Borussia Dortmund.
Nine goals, three assists and the versatility to slot in anywhere across the forward line makes him an enticing prospect for a lot of teams. He also doesn’t need long to make an impact, with three of his goals coming in fewer than 45 minutes on the pitch.
However, there’s an argument that if Brandt was ever going to leave Dortmund, he would have done it by now.
1. Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich
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Editor’s Note: Gnary re-signed with Bayern on Thursday
Although it seems like Serge Gnabry will remain at the Allianz Arena, he earns a reported £330,000 per week and, despite being important, is a rotational option for head coach Vincent Kompany.
Gnabry will have plenty of clubs sniffing around if he’s available in the summer, but it might be a difficult task to find somewhere that offers him what Bayern can—unless his focus is purely on playing time.
The 30-year-old continues to offer real threat whenever he’s on the pitch.
Gnabry has six goals and five assists in just 871 minutes of Bundesliga football this season, meaning he’s impacting the scoreline every 79 minutes on average. He’s versatile, incisive and more than equipped to be a star first-teamer away from Bayern.
