Several players in Europe’s top leagues are facing the threat of their contracts expiring this summer. Given that we have put together a potential free agent to start as an XI in a 4-3-3.
Available dominance in the center of the field
Weston McKennie
We start our look at our three midfielders by examining whether McKennie will leave the Allianz Stadium before his contract expires at the end of June.
The hugely experienced central midfielder has featured in 22 games for Juventus in the 2025/2026 season. A possible move away from Italy would therefore be surprising.
McKennie’s appearance-based trend was clearly visible last season, with 32 appearances in Serie A, coupled with six attacking returns (G2, A4). Not to mention nine appearances in the entire Champions League in that particular campaign.
As with Christensen, despite the abundance of interest from clubs vying for his signature earlier this season, the latest rumor saw fellow Serie A team Roma express clear interest.
There is certainly still time for Juventus to sign McKennie from the free agent market as he appears to be a permanent part of manager Luciano Spalletti’s long-term plans.
Leon Goretzka
One of the biggest household names in football who could potentially be available to clubs either in the January transfer window or later this summer is Bayern Munich’s Goretzka.
The former Champions League and multiple Bundesliga title winner always takes center stage whenever he steps onto the pitch. Goretzka is another player in our free agent XI who has not fallen out of favor with his manager after featuring in more than 90% of Bayern’s games this season.
After spending the past seven and a half years playing against the silverware-covered backdrop of the Allianz Arena, Goretzka admittedly still faces competition. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic are the other central options available to manager Vincent Kompany.
The German international is certainly not without candidates, as Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Galatasaray and Juventus were all spotted with interest over a week ago.
Julian Brandt
A move to the Premier League could be on the cards for Brandt, with high-flying Champions League chasers Aston Villa being linked with the experienced German attacking midfielder on several occasions.
Twenty appearances in the Bundesliga, the 2025/26 Champions League stage and the DFB-Pokal have clearly caught the attention of manager Unai Emery and Co at Villa Park.
However, the recent addition of Brazilian wonderkid Alysson from Grêmio for just over £8.5m could mean the Villans don’t need any further attacking talent.
That may not be the case with Villa still battling on several fronts, including being right in the mix of capturing their first ever Premier League title. So Brandt’s potential addition is unlikely to be rejected if offered to Villa.
Without wishing to doubt what Brandt currently thinks about a possible departure from Borussia Dortmund, it is worth noting that the forward has never played a minute of Premier League football in his career.
The luxury of finding the back of the net is not far away
Robert Lewandowski
If a team needs a proven goalscorer who has already scored over 600 career goals in the January transfer window, they only need to turn to Lewandowski.
One such possible option is AC Milan, which may be asking itself that all-important internal question: that could be Lewandowski their solution to lifting a first Scudetto shield since the 2021/22 campaign.
With defending LaLiga champions Barcelona firing on all cylinders in attack, Poland’s all-time record goalscorer has yet to struggle to get a decent amount of minutes on the pitch during the 2025/2026 season.
However, a new deal has yet to be put on the table for Lewandowski and his negotiating team to consider. Rumors are swirling in the media about a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) as Lewandowski’s next destination, with Chicago Fire and Inter Miami apparently in pursuit of the prolific 37-year-old marksman.
If MLS is his next destination of choice with the latter, he could potentially become teammates with former Barcelona Hall of Famers Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez.
Serge Gnarby
Another attacking signing who could be on the move is Bayern Munich’s Gnarby, who has attracted the attention of Liverpool and Juventus in recent months.
With the ability to play all over the front line, it is not at all surprising that the Germany international is reportedly being tracked by two footballing giants.
With sensational Swedish striker Alexander Isak out for the foreseeable future with a broken leg, a move to the defending Premier League champions could be on the cards.
An offer of around €15m could be enough to tempt Bayern into receiving a decent transfer fee rather than losing Gnabry for free this summer.
Unfortunately, he isn’t as consistent in front of goal as his 20-goal contributions (G14, A6) in 2022/23, but he still knows how to find the back of the net.
Dusan Vlahovic
If Lewandowski is no longer available, it would certainly not be wrong for a top European team to sign Vlahović as a free agent this summer.
After Jonathan David was taken over on a free transfer from Lille last summer, the Serbian international has lost his starting place as Juventus’ first-choice striker.
On paper, manager Luciano Spalletti apparently can’t decide who to turn to when it comes to scoring his side’s goals, with Vlahović and David both starting seven Serie A matches this season. With Kenan Yildiz and Leipzig loanee Loïs Openda also able to lead the Bianconeri’s attacking line, a contract extension may not be something the club is considering.
Considering he only has six months left to put pen to paper on a new deal, some might think Vlahović is already looking ahead to the impending future.
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