Free Agent XI: The best players set to be out-of-contract after the season

At times it seems like big-name players have run down than their contracts more than any previous modern era of football, and this summer feels like its near the pinnacle.

MORE — Premier League summer transfer window predictions

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kevin De Bruyne will be leaving Liverpool and Manchester City for different reasons, but they aren’t the only well-known footballers to run down their deals.

Building a Best XI of players who will be free agents this summer — at least as of this post’s initial publication — is easier for some positions than others. There will be loads of fullbacks, especially right-sided ones, available. Other positions, less so.

Free Agent XI: The best players set to be out-of-contract after the season

Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski

Slim pickings beyond the West Ham goalkeeper, who was a part-time player this year but led the league in at least one solid per-90 stat this season.

Right back: Nelson Semedo

This one is a deep class, with Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal, Wolves’ Nelson Semedo, Kyle Walker-Fulham’s Kenny Tete, and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey all in with a shout.

Semedo has been linked with a return to Benfica, and he’s the best attacker in this bunch as well as right there when discussing defensive traits. Walker-Peters is intriguing as we’ve only seen him as a young Spurs player and on poor Saints teams (in the PL), But Kenny Tete is the call if Semedo is off the table, for defensive solidity.

Center backs: Victor Lindelof and Jonathan Tah

With all due respect to Michael Keane, Jonny Evans, and Ben Mee, we’re looking at one Premier League player and one who’s yet to make the move to England. Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah has run down his deal and will be of interest round the world, while Victor Lindelof feels like he has more in the tank than what he was asked to give the last season or two at Man United. A more affordable player in the Tah mold is Olivier Boscagli, who at 27 has run down his contract at PSV Eindhoven.

Left back: Aaron Cresswell

Another slim pickings situation. Sergio Reguilon has been a flop after promising early days at Spurs. Cresswell has stacked some minutes under Graham Potter in the second half of this season, his most consistent run of appearances in a couple of seasons.

Center midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Angel Gomes, Christian Eriksen

If you believe the talk of Thomas Partey talking about a new deal at Arsenal and Idrissa Gana Gueye getting the same at Everton, it becomes easier to slim down our list. Abdoulaye Doucoure reportedly wants to stay at Everton, too, but does his salary fit the Toffees’ bill? Gomes reportedly turned down decent money from West Ham already, while Eriksen could provide leadership on a young side or valuable substitute minutes on a bigger team. De Bruyne is De Bruyne.

Wingers: Pablo Sarabia and Leroy Sane

Sane is a no-brainer although only so many teams can afford him, as talks with Bayern Munich slowed because of wage demands not stardom. Sarabia’s been linked with a move back to Spain and has really strong numbers behind his play, albeit in limited playing time for Vitor Pereira. His wages also won’t be meager.

Center forward: Depends (but Jonathan David)

So David is the easy answer here. He’s been filling the nets at Lille, but he’s not going to head anywhere but a big club so let’s look at the other options. Raul Jimenez and Jamie Vardy both have shown they have fire left in their bellies and effective play in their legs. As for Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Callum Wilson — would you prefer the oft-injured forward who doesn’t finish nearly as much as his reputation suggests he does, or the even more oft-injured forward who is older but a lethal finisher? Danny Ings makes it a solid half-dozen solid forwards on the market.