The latest winter transfer window is here, which means some of the world’s best footballers are now just six months away from the expiration of their current contracts.

Thanks to the 1995 Bosman ruling, clubs in other countries can now officially begin discussions with those soon-to-be-free-agents with a view to a pre-contract agreement. This allows the player to join the interested club when their present deal runs out without sign-off from his existing employers.

With so many elite players at leading clubs around Europe yet to agree their next contract, The Athletic has identified 12 of the most prominent players currently set to be available for free in the summer window.

In case you haven’t heard, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract expires in the summer.

Liverpool’s vice-captain has had an excellent first half of the season under new coach Arne Slot, with the Anfield club primed to compete for trophies domestically and in Europe. So far, the 26-year-old has made five assists, including two in the 3-3 draw against Newcastle United in early December, and recorded his first goal of the season in the 5-0 win at West Ham last weekend.

As one of the team’s most important players — an experienced head in the club’s leadership team and a boyhood fan who came through the club’s academy having been born locally — Liverpool are keen to sign Alexander-Arnold to a new deal but face stiff competition from reigning Spanish and European champions Real Madrid, who have made the right-back their priority target ahead of next season.

Liverpool may have to act quickly, as Madrid can begin formal discussions with Alexander-Arnold’s representatives from today (January 1) to arrange a pre-contract agreement to join the 15-time European Cup/Champions League winners.

If there were any doubters before the season began in August about Mohamed Salah’s ability to continue to rack up goals and assists into his thirties, his performances in the months since have emphatically silenced them.

Indeed, there is a fair argument that Salah is the best player in the world at the moment. The 32-year-old (he’ll be 33 just before his contract expires in June) has 20 goals and contributed 17 assists in all competitions, powering Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables to begin 2025.

Liverpool have made Salah an opening contract offer, but he has not yet committed his future to Anfield. In 2023, Liverpool rejected a bid of up to £150million from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad, and it is unlikely interest in the Egyptian from the Gulf state will have declined.

Whether Salah, the most famous Arab athlete in the world, would be tempted by a move to the Saudi Pro League at this stage of his career, however, is another question.

Rounding out the high-profile potential free-agent trio at Liverpool is their club captain, Virgil van Dijk.

Like Salah, Van Dijk is proving to any doubters that he is still capable of operating at elite level into his thirties. The Dutchman has arguably been the best centre-back in the Premier League this season, marshalling a defence that has conceded at a rate of fewer than one per game.

At 33 (he turns 34 in early July), this could be the last long-term contract Van Dijk signs for a top European club. Although his future is uncertain, he has received a contract proposal from Liverpool and there is a growing belief around Anfield that he will stay. 

Kevin De Bruyne is arguably the greatest player ever to pull on a Manchester City shirt, but this year has been far from his best since joining them from Germany’s Wolfsburg in 2015.

After starting the season impressively, including scoring a goal in a 4-1 win against Ipswich Town, De Bruyne has found himself in and out of Pep Guardiola’s starting XI due to a combination of injury issues and a lack of form. He appeared to re-discover his devastating final-third quality in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in December, but has struggled to maintain that level consistently.

De Bruyne will be 34 in June, just before his current deal expires, and, as reported in the 2025 Transfer Radar, he has interest from the PIF-backed clubs in Saudi Arabia, and there have been discussions with MLS and a number of the North American league’s sides, but there is also the opportunity to stay at City if he desires.

Alphonso Davies’ electric pace and attacking quality have long made him one of the most coveted defenders in European football, and there’s no wonder many of the continent’s biggest clubs are interested in getting his signature on a contract.

After finding himself in and out of the starting XI at Bayern Munich last season, Davies has responded with a solid start to this campaign, which has seen new manager Vincent Kompany’s side race to an early lead at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Davies is out of contract at the end of this season (Alexandra Beier/AFP via Getty Images)

Bayern are keen to hold on to the 24-year-old Canada international, but he is attracting interest from Premier League clubs and Real Madrid. With so many top clubs in the market for a left-back, it would come as little surprise to see Davies involved in plenty of transfer discussions with Europe’s biggest clubs until his future is resolved.

While Canadian countryman Davies could well stay at his current club, Jonathan David looks set for a move to a European giant.

The striker has been consistent with French side Lille and his national team for several years but has taken a noticeable leap this season, particularly in the Champions League. David, 24, has scored six times and provided three assists in 10 European matches — an excellent record considering the profile of the club he plays for. He has been no slouch domestically in Ligue 1 either, scoring 11 times in 15 matches, including a hat-trick against Le Havre in September.

Several Premier League clubs admire him, including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa. Juventus and Inter in Italy and Spain’s Atletico Madrid are also monitoring him.

Viewed as the logical successor to Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller as the German leader at the heart of Bayern’s squad, it seemed inevitable Joshua Kimmich would play out his prime years in Munich. However, in light of stalled contract negotiations between the 29-year-old and Bayern’s board, his future may lie away from the Allianz Arena.

Kimmich has had an indifferent past couple of years at Bayern, switching between defensive midfield and full-back under Kompany and predecessor Thomas Tuchel, neither of whom has been able to get the best out of the Germany captain. He won’t be cheap for interested parties, but he is among Europe’s most talented midfielders and will draw attention from top clubs.

Leroy Sane

Despite undoubted talent and athletic qualities, Leroy Sane has struggled with consistency since joining Bayern from Manchester City in summer 2020.

Sane started 2023-24 in electric form for Bayern, contributing eight goals and 10 assists in the opening 17 matches of the Bundesliga. However, due to injuries and an inability to rediscover that form, he registered just one assist in the second half of the 34-match league season. So far in this campaign, he has been in and out of new boss Kompany’s side.

The Germany international turns 29 this month, so is no longer a young talent from whom inconsistency can be expected. Still, when Sane is at his best, very few wingers can match his world-class ability to glide past defenders and deliver final-third production at the elite level.

Angel Gomes popped back up on the radars of many English fans after England interim manager Lee Carsley handed him his first call-up to the senior national team in September while filling in following the departure of Gareth Southgate.

Gomes then impressed at the base of Carsley’s midfield, showing a willingness to drive the team forward with incisive passing, composure in possession and defensive awareness. After leaving Manchester United in 2020, following five league appearances, Gomes matured in Ligue 1 with Lille and could be set for a return to the Premier League this summer.

When fit and available, Gomes is a mainstay in Lille’s midfield. He is capable of playing as a No 10, a No 8 or in the deeper No 6 position he occupied under Carsley.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked set to become one of England’s most in-demand forwards just a few seasons ago but injuries stalled his progression.

Across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, he scored 29 goals in 69 league matches and forced his way into England’s European Championship squad following the latter ahead of several more experienced options. Now 27, and having scored just 16 times since that 2020-21 campaign, Calvert-Lewin could now be in line for a move to re-ignite his career.

Calvert-Lewin’s career has stalled due to injuries (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, he remains important to Sean Dyche’s plans at Everton. He has started in 16 of 18 league games this season, and while his goal production has declined, the manager values his hold-up play and defensive work.

Neymar

Neymar remains one of the world’s most famous and gifted players, but his move to Saudi Arabia has not been a success.

The 32-year-old Brazilian was the headline act in the mass superstar exodus to the Saudi Pro League in 2023, joining Al Hilal after a six-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain. After just five games for his new club, Neymar suffered an ACL knee injury with Brazil in October 2023. He finally returned after more than a year out but soon picked up a hamstring problem, which has kept him out of action since.

Neymar has drawn attention from MLS clubs, namely Inter Miami, where he would join ex-Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets on the pitch, as well as Javier Mascherano, who is now their head coach. It would be complicated for Miami to sign Neymar under the league’s salary cap restrictions, but not impossible. Right now, however, his future appears up in the air.

While considered one of Germany’s brightest prospects in central defence, Jonathan Tah’s reputation for being mistake-prone was traditionally among the primary reasons he had not yet joined a bigger club. If he could iron out those mistakes, Tah, an elite athlete who is composed in possession, seemed set for an upward move.

Under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, the 28-year-old has realised that promise in the past two seasons and is now considered one of the most reliable and solid defenders in the Bundesliga. He played an important role in Leverkusen’s invincible 2023-24 domestic season and established himself at the heart of Germany’s defence under Julian Nagelsmann.

With so many top teams around Europe looking for reinforcements in central defence, that ascension to football’s small circle of elite clubs could soon arrive for Tah.

(Top photos of De Bruyne and Kimmich; Getty Images)

The University of Notre Dame is asking fans in New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl to “join us in prayer” after an apparent terror attack killed at least 10 people and injured more than 30 others early Wednesday morning. 

The statement shared on social media comes as thousands of college football fans have traveled to the city for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between the Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs.

“We are aware of the incident this morning in New Orleans and are working with law enforcement and others to determine the full scope and impact of the tragedy,” the statement posted on X read. 

“We ask our fans to join us in prayer for those injured and lost in this senseless act of violence.” 

The university urged those in New Orleans to avoid the surrounding area. It also encouraged anyone interested to attend a mass the university is holding at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. 

The FBI is investigating a suspected act of terror after a driver plowed through a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 10 people and injuring at least 35 others. Police said the suspect was killed while exchanging gunfire with law enforcement. 

Police investigate a crime scene on Bourbon Str. in New Orleans on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. A driver plowed into crowds of New Year’s revelers and began firing a weapon in the early hours of the morning. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

SUGAR BOWL OFFICIAL SPEAKS OUT AFTER DEADLY BOURBON STREET ATTACK LEAVES AT LEAST 10 DEAD HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF

The tragedy has raised security concerns ahead of the Sugar Bowl, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night at the Caesars Superdome, which sits just a mile away from the crime scene. 

“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,” Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish run onto the field prior to the Playoff First Round game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium on Dec. 20, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick indicated at a press conference on Wednesday that the game will continue as expected. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

It’s time to peer into my crystal ball to see what 2025 has in store for the Southland’s high school athletes (and a few former ones), coaches and fans.

Dominic Cadiz of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will hit so many home runs that he’ll get a name, image and likeness deal with Wheaties.

Sophomore Julius Truitt of Birmingham will become the second-most famous person named JuJu in Los Angeles when he hits above .400, steals double-digit bases and breaks a school record for triples in his first season as a varsity starter.

Corona will win the Southern Section Division 1 baseball championship, with Seth Hernandez earning praise as the Shohei Ohtani of high school baseball.

Win Gurney of Mira Costa, an Oregon State commit, will hit a home run so far that the ball will go missing until a Golden Retriever is brought in to find it.

Quarterback Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park will promise his dad all A’s on his report card and to never dump Gatorade on him when it’s cold if he gets a new truck.

A group of El Segundo Little Leaguers from the championship team of 2023 will enroll at Loyola, and white smoke will be seen rising from historic Ruppert Hall.

Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian will score 50 points in a girls’ basketball game, then get a shoe by Adidas in her honor.

The NFL draft on April 24 will feature two former Servite players, Mason Graham and Tetairoa McMillan, selected in the first round, causing their former coach, Troy Thomas, to sing the school fight song.

Quarterback Koa Malau’ulu of St. John Bosco will treat his group of talented receivers with so much love that he’ll buy them whatever they want from In-N-Out as long as the bill doesn’t exceed $150.

The Grindlinger brothers, Trent and Jared, will hit back-to-back home runs for Huntington Beach, causing mom and dad to scream so loudly that the umpire will stop the game for a moment of calm.

Gary Morse, a 6-foot-8 junior pitcher for Orange Lutheran, will be compared to Tyler Glasnow.

Pitcher Addison Moorman of Granada Hills.

(Craig Weston)

Addison Moorman of Granada Hills will strike out 18 in a softball game.

Eighth-grader Ezrah Brown, the brother of Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown, and seventh-grader Ryu Sanchez, the brother of Columbia quarterback Caleb Sanchez, will continue their rise as youth quarterbacks as they move closer to the day of taking over the offenses at Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, respectively.

Former Sierra Canyon defensive back Kamari Ramsey will be an All-American for USC, then become a first-round draft pick in 2026.

Bell celebrates after defeating Birmingham in the City Section Open Division championship at Dodger Stadium.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Bell will become the first school outside the San Fernando Valley since Fremont in 1947 to win consecutive City Section upper division baseball championships.

Defensive lineman Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra will be so successful sacking quarterbacks that he will change his uniform number to 99.

Teagan O’Dell of Santa Margarita will end up with so many swimming medals around her neck that there will be a contest to guess how many.

Bishop Alemany freshman Demare Dezeurn displays his medal after winning the boys’ 100 meters in 10.47 seconds at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 20, 2024.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Demare Dezeurn of Bishop Alemany will be the fastest 100-meter runner in the Southern Section at age 16 as he blossoms under coach Terrell Stanley.

Nikolas Khamenia of Harvard-Westlake will set a record for triple-doubles in a season.

Lino Mark of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Nick Koza)

Lino Mark of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will receive an NIL deal for his hair.

Dylan Moreno of San Pedro will kick so many field goals that coach Corey Walsh will offer to serve as his holder at practice.

Birmingham and El Camino Real will meet again to determine the City Section boys’ soccer title and instead of the match ending in a fight, players will agree to shake hands as long as they get invited to the next World Cup.

Jaden Soong competes during the U.S. Open qualifier at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles on June 5, 2023.

(Brody Hannon)

Freshman golf phenom Jaden Soong of St. Francis will agree to a skins game against Charlie Woods sponsored by the SGA.

Cathedral sophomore quarterback Jaden Jefferson.

(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)

Advertisement

Quarterback Jaden Jefferson of Cathedral will throw for six touchdowns in a game, then do the Heisman pose.

Huntington Beach baseball coach Benji Medure will promise to try surfing if his team beats Corona.

Mater Dei left-hander Jackson Campbell will be a surprise pitching star because of his ability to throw strikes.

Softball standout Taelyn Holley of Murrieta Mesa, a Tennessee commit, will hit so many home runs that Erewhon will name a smoothie after her.

USC’s surprise freshman standout in baseball will be Augie Lopez from Loyola High.

Receiver will be the strongest position in Southern California football, led by the St. John Bosco group of Madden Williams, Carson Clark, Daniel Odom, Christian Davis and Darren Tubbs.

Corona Centennial football coach Matt Logan.

(Jeremiah Soifer )

Matt Logan of Corona Centennial will win his 300th career football game, then be presented with a new jersey, No. 300.