The 2025/26 season is barrelling toward its conclusion, and when the curtain finally does come down on the campaign, a number of the planet’s biggest-name players will be free to join a new team following the expiry of their contract.
Last summer, the free agency headlines were dominated by Canadian striker Jonathan David. The pacey hitman made headlines with former club Lille as he fired over 100 goals in five seasons in France, even helping the club pip heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 crown in 2021.
So, which names are set to dominate the headlines this summer? Well, a slew of huge names have all confirmed that they will be leaving their current clubs when their contracts expire on June 30th. Bernardo Silva will be bringing the curtain down on his Manchester City career after nine trophy-laden years with the club. Leon Goretzka will also leave Bayern Munich after eight years and over 300 appearances. So, where are they likely to be headed this summer, and which other names could be on the move? Let’s take a look.
Ibrahima Konaté
Last season, Liverpool were embroiled in another free agency nightmare as boyhood Red Trent Alexander-Arnold refused to commit to a new contract and ultimately joined Real Madrid, much to the ire of the Anfield faithful. This summer, it’s centre back Ibrahima Konaté who looks poised to leave the club for free. The former RB Leipzig defender has yet to make a statement on his future, and current manager Arne Slot still has hopes that the Frenchman will remain on Merseyside. Real Madrid, however, are lurking once again.
Los Blancos have been rumoured to be interested in Konaté for much of the season, and it seems that the 26-year-old’s poor form this term hasn’t put them off. The Spanish giants are no strangers to blockbuster free transfers, having signed the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger, and David Alaba for absolutely nothing in recent seasons. Liverpool’s centre back could be next on their hit list, but firstly, the France international has the small matter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to deal with. Online betting sites make Konaté and Les Bleus genuine contenders to leave MetLife Stadium with the famous gold trophy on July 19th. The latest odds from Ozoon Sportsbook position them as an 11/2 second-favourite to be crowned World Champions, and Konaté is likely to be imperative to any success that Didier Deschamps’ men have at the heart of the defence alongside Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano. Whether his future is resolved before the tournament kicks off on June 11th, however, remains to be seen.
Bernardo Silva
Another man headed to the World Cup this summer is Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, and we already know that once the tournament concludes, he won’t be returning to the Etihad Stadium. The Portuguese international confirmed in April that he wouldn’t be renewing his contract to remain with the Blues beyond June 30th, and now he is aiming to sign off after nine long years with a seventh Premier League title.
Barcelona has long flirted with the idea of signing Bernardo. The Blaugrana have pursued the former Monaco man on no fewer than three occasions in the past, coming closest to landing him in the summer of 2022 before Pep Guardiola insisted that his attacking midfielder remained at the Etihad. This summer, however, the Portuguese technician is free to leave, and Catalonia looks like the most likely destination, although both Juventus and Galatasaray are also thought to be interested.
Dušan Vlahović
Dušan Vlahović was supposed to be Juventus’ answer to their striking problems. The Bianconeri forked out some €70m to secure his services from fellow Italian outfit Fiorentina on his 22nd birthday in January 2022, and there were huge expectations for the Serbian hitman. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to live up to them. The former Partizan Belgrade youngster hasn’t been able to clear 20 goals in any of his five seasons in Turin, culminating in him netting just eight goals this season, the lowest tally of his entire Allianz Stadium tenure.
His current contract expires on June 30th, and much like Konaté and Liverpool, a parting of ways isn’t yet confirmed. In fact, it’s widely expected that he will indeed pen a new deal on reduced terms to remain with Juventus, but if the two parties fail to come to an agreement, then both Barcelona and Chelsea will likely make their move.
Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka became the most sought-after central midfielder in the world when he announced he wouldn’t be renewing his contract with Schalke eight years ago. Fast forward to 2026, and the German international is once again set to be on the move. The 31-year-old confirmed in January that he would be leaving Bavaria at the end of the current season, and now several of Europe’s biggest names are all on the hunt to secure the signing of one of the modern game’s most experienced midfield men.
Current Premier League leaders Arsenal are seemingly at the front of the queue, potentially adding Goretzka to a midfield that already contains the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino. Inter Milan are also thought to be on the prowl.
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