The full list
The coming January transfer window will undoubtedly bring with it a number of huge transfers between Europe’s biggest clubs, as giants of the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A try to rebuild their squads in time to win some much-needed silverware before the end of the season.
However, aside from the players that will demand big fees, there is also an impressive list of World stars that have contracts that are set to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season. As such, these talented players will be able to consider offers from other clubs and, in some cases, may be able to push through deals in the January window that are far below what their perceived market value may be. So who are the biggest stars that could push through a move in January or use the coming transfer window to hammer out a deal with a new club? Let’s take a look.
The 10 most valuable players with expiring contracts
At the top of the list is none other than Inter Milan central defender Milan Skriniar, who boasts of a market value of €60m but could depart the Serie A giants for far less next month. With a contract that is set to expire at the end of the season, the Slovakia international is widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest defenders and could now be one of the most sought-after too. Right behind the Slovakian talent is Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. Despite struggling for consistency at Old Trafford in recent seasons, the England international still has a number of admirers – most notably Paris Saint-Germain – and could entertain a number of offers to leave the club in January.
Right below Rashford is PSG and recent World Cup winner Lionel Messi. Despite only joining the French giants 18 months ago, rumours have begun to gather speed over a potential move to MLS and David Beckham’s Inter Miami side in the summer. Messi may also have hopes of potentially returning to Barcelona next season too, but it seems unlikely that he’ll stay at PSG when his current deal expires.
Elsewhere on the top 10 list are Premier League household names like Youri Tielemans of Leicester City, Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, Man Utd full-back Diogo Dalot and Brighton break-out star Leandro Trossard. And it’s beyond the realms of possibility to imagine each of these players seriously considering their options and moving on to other clubs in January or six months later.
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Who else could move in January?
Outside of the top 10, the most notable names from the rumour mill tend to come from the Bundesliga in the form of Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker Daichi Kamada, Borussia Mönchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram and Borussia Dortmund pair Youssoufa Moukoko and Raphaël Guerreiro. The Japanese international has actually been heavily linked with a move to Dortmund, who could end up losing the aforementioned pair in return. Moukoko, in particular, has picked up a lot of interest from the Premier League and Barcelona in recent weeks. Similarly, Thuram has been heavily linked with a move to England after impressing for France at the World Cup.
Barcelona are reportedly looking to sign Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante when his contract expires at the end of the season pic.twitter.com/2RtyWyGqpv
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) December 14, 2022
Elsewhere, more established stars such as Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan and Barcelona ringer Memphis Depay could all be using the January window to properly evaluate their futures and where the next chapter in their careers may lead them to. Chelsea star, N’Golo Kanté, also joins the list and has been increasingly linked with a move to Spain in recent weeks.
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