Sports
The top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
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.
Alexander-Arnold has interest from Real Madrid (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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)
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The wait is officially over. The FIFA World Cup has arrived.
For the first time ever, three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. It is also the largest FIFA World Cup in history, expanding to a 48-team field. Squads from around the world have arrived in North America with one ultimate goal: capturing the iconic World Cup trophy.
Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable news surrounding the World Cup.
June 12:
Official Injury Update On Neymar
Brazilian star Neymar Jr. will officially miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday. Neymar was named to Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite a calf injury, and now won’t be available early on. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Google Doodle Has World Cup Fever
In case fans didn’t already have World Cup fever, they can open their web browser.
Google is officially ready for USA’s opener against Paraguay, as the home page features a custom, USA-themed Google Doodle.
The Doodle features red text with a blue outline, as well as a soccer ball along with an interchanging USA crest replacing the “O’s” in Google.
James Cordon Stretches With Christian Pulisic
James Corden joined Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team for a training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay.
After meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino and going through a film session with the players, Corden and Co. hit the pitch for practice, where he helped serve as a water boy.
Corden tried to help Pulisic stretch out his legs after practice before he was stopped by a member of the coaching staff. As Corden walked off, Pulisic sprayed him with a water bottle.
DR Congo Arrives to the World Cup in Style
The DR Congo men’s national team isn’t set to play until Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal in Group K, but they’ve already made a statement upon arrival in Houston, Texas.
The squad arrived in style, stepping off the plane in striking black, jaguar-inspired outfits that quickly turned heads. The bold look fits their nickname, Les Léopards, and sets the tone for their World Cup presence before they even face Portugal.
DR Congo may be heavy underdogs, but they’re already winning where it counts off the pitch, taking the fashion battle before kickoff.
Canada’s Jesse Marsch Takes Dig At USA
The Canadian men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon. Ahead of the match, head coach Jesse Marsch took a subtle jab at the United States men’s national team during his remarks on Thursday.
“In the U.S., we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said.
The United States conducted a months-long search for a new head coach in 2023, with Marsch emerging as the frontrunner and making it clear he wanted the job. Instead, they chose to rehire Gregg Berhalter, a decision that may have left Marsch with some lingering resentment.
Marsch’s subtle jab could take on added stakes if the United States and Canada meet during the FIFA World Cup. The two nations could potentially face off as early as the Round of 32 or the Round of 16.
June 11:
The pressure of competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is high, but that hasn’t stopped players from enjoying some downtime with their teammates. Norway star Erling Haaland was spotted at the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haaland appeared to be enjoying himself as the Hurricanes secured a Game 5 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights. The Manchester City striker drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance as he took in the action from the stands.
The Norway star was seen celebrating in the stands before turning his attention back to international duty, with Norway set to face Iraq in Group 1 play on Tuesday, June 16.
Australia Coach Popovic Signs Extension
Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team’s World Cup opening match against Turkey on Saturday.
Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic’s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.
The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.
“I’m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,” he said of Australia’s opponents in Group D.
Canada Captain Sidelined For Opening Match
Canada’s captain and star defender Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davies’ status has been questionable due to an ACL tear and other injuries during the club season, which limited Davies to appearing in two of Canada’s last 21 games.
Davies is one of the co-host’s more valuable players in terms of talent and experience, including 58 appearances in nine years with the national team. However, Davies’ injury does not rule him out of the entire tournament. His injury update and restraint from the opening match serves as a caution to heal his injury as the group stage unfolds.
After playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich, where he’s played since 2019. Canada is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup
Just ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on June 14, captain and midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn his name from Japan’s World Cup squad and paired it with his national team retirement, per his statement on X. Endo has been dealing with an ongoing ankle/foot injury since February.
Endo has played for the Japan national team for over a decade, where he made 73 appearances and scored four goals. As a veteran anchor in the midfield, Endo has also served as Japan’s captain since their previous World Cup in 2022, where they reached the Round of 16.
As for Endo’s professional career, he first played for Shanon Bellmare from 2010-15, followed by the Urawa Red Diamonds from 2016-19, VfB Stuttgart from 2019-23 and has played for Liverpool FC since 2023. With Liverpool, Endo played a prominent role in the team’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024.
With Endo out, Japan has officially called Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Shuto Machino to join the 26-man roster. Machino is entering his second World Cup and his fifth year with the Japan national team.
Marco Senesi Called Up To 26-Man Roster
Following the injury of defender Leonardo Balerdi, Argentina has officially called up defender Marcos Senesi to the 26-man roster. Argentina is set to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria.
Senesi has been training prior in case of a last-minute call-up, and was named to the roster after Balerdi’s muscle injury was ruled out. Senesi has played professionally since 2016, playing for clubs like San Lorenzo, Feyenoord, AFC Bournemouth and is currently with Tottenham Hotspur.
Joining Senesi in the back are defenders Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and Cristian Romero.
In what’s likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina will look to repeat their historic 2022 World Cup win this tournament.
Tyler Adams, USA Celebrate Shocking Knicks’ W
Tyler Adams, United States’ midfielder, is a fan of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks. The Knicks are in the NBA Finals, on the eve of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so members of the United States’ squad gathered together to watch what turned out to be the largest NBA Finals comeback in history, with the Knicks coming out on top.
When New York won, the room erupted, with Adams especially going wild. And we know this because the reaction was caught on camera in the moment.
That couch is destroyed, but at least no one watching the game ended up as damaged as it did after Adams went climbing and kicking all over it! If the United States ends up having a major comeback or win in the World Cup, maybe keep the players away from any obstacles like that, though. Just to be safe.
Morocco Loses 2 Players To Injury Before World Cup
Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.
Ezzalzouli helped Real Betis qualify for next season’s Champions League and was a potential breakout star at the World Cup. Aguerd was a cornerstone of Morocco’s historic semifinals team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were replaced by Amine Sbai of French club Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Fateh.
Morocco opens against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium near New York, then plays Scotland on June 19 near Boston and finishes Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a warmup game against Norway last weekend, though initial tests suggested he could be retained in coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad to play in the knockout rounds.
Surprise World Cup Comeback For Austrian Midfielder
The last time Dejan Ljubicic played for Austria was nearly three years ago. Now a teammate’s injury has given him a surprise comeback at the World Cup.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Ljubicic late Wednesday to replace key midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who injured his right thigh while warming up for a pre-World Cup friendly against Tunisia last week and needed surgery.
Ljubicic is set to join Austria at the team camp in Santa Barbara on Thursday, ahead of the team’s first game on Tuesday against Jordan. Austria also plays Argentina and Algeria in Group J.
He’s more of a defensive midfield option than Baumgartner, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for Leipzig in Germany last season and has remained in camp to support the team.
Ljubicic also plays in Germany on the Schalke team which secured promotion from the second division last month.
Ljubicic has nine games for Austria but none at a major tournament. His last appearance was in a friendly against Moldova in September 2023, and he wasn’t in the squad for any World Cup qualifiers.
CHICAGO — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup Friday against the White Sox after exiting the game before with discomfort in the back of his left knee.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had imaging done on the knee and showed “the normal wear and tear.”
“He feels fine-ish,” said Roberts, who hopes Ohtani will be back in the lineup this weekend. Ohtani remains in line to make his next pitching start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.
Especially at this point in the season, the Dodgers have incentive to play it safe with Ohtani’s recovery. Pushing him to return early and exacerbating the injury would be a larger blow to a team seeking its third straight World Series championship.
With Ohtani out, left fielder Alex Call was in the leadoff spot, and Santiago Espinal served as the designated hitter.
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With the largest World Cup field in the history of the tournament, 32 of the 48 teams will be fighting for a spot in the knockout stage.
66.6% of nations will advance out of the group stage this summer, which is a massive upgrade from 50% in past World Cups. Because of this, sportsbooks have adjusted with less favorable odds.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Germany entered with the strongest odds to advance from the group stage, supported by recent major-tournament success and talent-rich rosters.
All five nations are heavily favored at -10000 to advance to the knockout round.
The Spaniards are the defending European Champions while the Argentinians are looking to win back-to-back titles. Germany has not made it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, but has always been a perennial contender— having won four titles in its history. And then of course there’s Brazil, which has more titles than any country with five.
Now, after the conclusion of the first day of the World Cup, Mexico has joined the group at the top. El Tri has surged to -10000 to advance to the knockout stage after initially being just -1400. Mexico’s huge leap up the oddsboard is a direct result of its dominating 2-0 win over South Africa.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the odds for each team to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as of June 12.
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Odds to Advance to Knockout Stage
Spain: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Argentina: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Brazil: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
England: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Mexico: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Germany: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Portugal: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
France: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
Belgium:-3500 (bet $10 to win $10.29 total)
South Korea: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
Switzerland: -1800 (bet $10 to win $10.56 total)
Netherlands: -1400 (bet $10 to win $10.71 total)
Morocco: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Colombia: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Uruguay: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Canada: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Ecuador: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Norway: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
United States: -750 (bet $10 to win $11.33 total)
The U.S. men’s national team is currently -750 to advance from Group D (Photo by Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images).
Croatia: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Austria: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Türkiye: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Ivory Coast: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Japan: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Egypt: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Algeria: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Scotland: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Senegal: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Sweden: -230 (bet $10 to win $1435 total)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: -220 (bet $10 to win $14.55 total)
Paraguay: -205 (bet $10 to win $14.88 total)
Iran: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Czechia: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)
Ghana: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Australia: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
DR Congo: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Raúl Jiménez helped propel Mexico to a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Photo by Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images).
Saudi Arabia: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Tunisia: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)
New Zealand: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Uzbekistan: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Cape Verde: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Panama: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Qatar: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
South Africa: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)
Jordan +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Iraq: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Haiti: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Curaçao: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
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