July 1st came and went, and suddenly a bunch of really good soccer players don’t have a job. The official start of the European free agent period has landed with a thud, and the list of names still looking for a team reads like a FIFA Ultimate Team discard pile that’s way too good to ignore.
According to Transfermarkt, Dusan Vlahovic is the most valuable guy currently without a club. The Serbian striker couldn’t get a new deal done with Juventus, and after 168 appearances and 68 goals for the Old Lady, he’s 26 years old and still has plenty of prime years left. Teams in Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Premier League are reportedly sniffing around. That’s the kind of target man who can change a club’s entire attack if he lands in the right spot.
Salah’s Liverpool Exit Was Mutual, Not Messy
Mohamed Salah is also on the market, though his departure from Liverpool came by mutual consent. That’s a polite way of saying both sides agreed it was time. The Egyptian King has been linked with Fenerbahce, among others, and you have to imagine there’s no shortage of suitors for a guy who has consistently been one of the most clinical finishers in world football. He’s not cheap, but he’s available.
John Stones is another long-serving star who walked away from a Premier League giant. His decade at Manchester City was decorated with trophies, but that run is over now. Wherever he goes next, he’s proven he can play at the highest level.
More Big Names, More Uncertainty
Leon Goretzka has left Bayern Munich and there’s Premier League buzz around him. Yves Bissouma is out at Tottenham and looking for a new home. Former Arsenal fullbacks Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both unattached now. Julian Brandt is free after leaving Borussia Dortmund, and Oscar Mingueza has parted ways with Celta Vigo.
Then there’s Jadon Sancho. Remember when Manchester United paid $72.1 million for him in 2021? Yeah, that didn’t work out. He’s now a free agent. His former teammate Casemiro is also out at Old Trafford, though reports suggest he’s close to signing a three-year deal with Inter Miami. That would pair him up with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. Not a bad contingency plan.
The market is open, the names are big, and the next few weeks should be chaos. That’s usually how July goes.
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