11 Top Stars Who Left Their Club on a Free Transfer Following the Expiration of Their Contracts
Following the conclusion of Deadline Day there are still a number of high profile players that are entering the final year of their contracts.
Whilst Ross Barkley turned down a last minute move to Chelsea and Alexis Sanchez's transfer to Man City failing to materialise, the duo will now most likely move to new clubs for free under the Bosman ruling in the summer of 2018.
Here's a look at 11 top players who secured free transfer following the conclusion of their contracts...
1. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski gained a reputation for being one of the most dangerous strikers in world football whilst at Borussia Dortmund. The Poland captain won two Bundesliga titles and a German cup during his four year spell at the club.
However, when German giants Bayern Munich came in for the striker he expressed a desire to join them to the dismay of everyone connected to Dortmund. Bayern made a number of offers for Lewandowski but all of them fell below Dortmund's valuation of their star man.
As a result Dortmund decided to hold on to Lewandowski for the 2013-14 season and let him leave for nothing in the summer of 2014.
Unsurprisingly it was announced before the conclusion of the 2013-14 season that Lewandowski would be joining Bayern on a free transfer ahead of the 2014-15 campaign. Robert Lewandowski has since gone on to win three Bundesliga titles and a German Cup since joining Munich.
2. Fernando Llorente
Fernando Llorente worked his way through Athletic Bilbao's various youth sides before eventually breaking into the Basque side's first team in 2005.
The Spaniard joined the club when he was 11 years-old but left in disgrace at the age of 28 following his refusal to sign a new-contract. Llorente eventually joined Juventus in the summer of 2013 on a free transfer, after Bilbao had refused to sell him to the Serie A side in the January window of 2013.
Fernando Llorente won two Serie A titles in the two years he was at the Turin based club, he subsequently left Juventus in the summer of 2015 to return to Spain with Sevilla.
3. Sead Kolasinac
Sead Kolasinac had a couple of spells as a youth player at clubs in Germany before Schalke 04 snapped him up in 2011. The Bosnian international who represented Germany at youth level broke into the Schalke first-team in 2012 and spent the next five seasons at the Bundesliga side.
However, in May 2017 Kolasinac made the decision not to renew his contract at Schalke and with his deal only having a month left to run he was free to choose from several interested clubs.
Within a month Arsenal announced they had signed Kolasinac on a free transfer, the left-back has already won an FA Community Shield during his brief spell with the Gunners.
4. Moussa Dembele
Moussa Dembele burst onto the scene at Fulham as a teenager. The Belgian centre-forward spent three seasons at Fulham scoring 17 times in 46 appearances in all competition for the club.
With six months remaining on his deal a move to Tottenham was proposed but broke down due to Fulham wanting Dembele to return on loan for the rest of the season. Following the end of his contract Dembele decided to join Scottish champions Celtic.
Dembele has gone on to play and score in the Champions League and win the domestic treble in his first season in Glasgow.
5. Joel Matip
Joel Matip spent his entire senior career with Bundesliga side Schalke before agreeing to join Liverpool. During his seven seasons with Schalke the centre-back made just under 200 appearances and scored 17 goals for the club.
In February 2016 with four months left on his contract Matip announced he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Liverpool to join them on a Bosman free on a four year contract once his Schalke deal had expired.
The Cameroonian made 32 appearances for the Reds in his first season at Anfield as he helped them secure Champions League football for the 2017/18 season.
6. Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso is arguably the king of Bosman free transfers. His first free transfer came in 2004 when Inter Milan snapped him up following the completion of his contract at Real Madrid.
Cambiasso spent the next decade winning five Serie A titles and a Champions League with Inter Milan whilst making over 300 appearances and scoring 41 goals for the club. Following 10 years at the top of European football the Argentine swapped the San Siro for the King Power Stadium signing for Leicester City on a Bosman free transfer.
Cambiasso became an instant fan favourite at Leicester and helped the newly promoted side secure Premier League safety in his one and only season in England.
Leicester tried to convince him to stay for another season but following the expiration of his deal with Leicester the legendary defensive-midfielder secured his third Bosman free transfer to Greek champions Olympiacos in the summer of 2015.
7. James Milner
Following an outstanding season with Aston Villa that saw James Milner named PFA young player of the year, Manchester City signed Milner for a fee of £26m in the summer of 2010 on a five-year contract.
During his five-year spell in Manchester Milner helped the Citizens win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a League Cup. The English midfielder turned down a new deal at City and following the expiration of his contract signed for Premier League rivals Liverpool in the summer of 2015.
The former Newcastle man was immediately made vice-captain of the Reds and has since gone on to make over 65 appearances and scored 12 goals in his two full seasons at Anfield.
8. Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo had achieved almost everything you can in football during his 10-year spell with AC Milan 2001-2011. The Italian midfielder had won two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, one FIFA Club World Cup, a couple of Champions League titles and a FIFA World Cup with Italy.
However, he was deemed surplus to requirements by AC Milan in 2011 and was allowed to leave for free following the expiration of his contract with the San Siro side. Milan's loss was Juventus' gain as the Turin based side snapped Pirlo up on a free transfer in the summer of 2011.
In his four-seasons with Juventus Pirlo helped the club won four Serie A titles as well as a Coppa Italia. Pirlo left Juventus in the summer of 2015 to join MLS side New York City where he is currently continuing his playing career.
9. Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose had earned himself a reputation as a prolific goal-scorer by the time Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich signed him in the summer of 2007 from Werder Bremen.
During his four-year spell in Munich Klose helped Bayern win two Bundesliga titles and a couple of domestic cups. However, Klose and Bayern failed to agree a new contract and the German striker left following the conclusion of the four-year contract he had signed in 2007.
Serie A side Lazio signed Klose on a free transfer in the summer of 2011, in a move that would go down as a huge success for both the player and club. Klose made just under 150 appearances and scored over 50 goals for Lazio in his five-year spell in Rome, which came to an end in 2016 when he retired.
Klose would also gain a place in Germany's World Cup winning squad in 2014, where he would go on to break the record for most goals scored by a player in World Cup tournaments.
10. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell's transfer from Tottenham to Arsenal is arguably the most controversial Bosman free transfer of all-time.
Following a nine year spell at Tottenham in which he had made over 250 appearances for the club, Campbell swapped one North-London club for another by signing for Arsenal in the summer of 2001.
Campbell spent the next five-years of his career with the Gunners helping them win a pair of FA Cups and two Premier League titles, including the 2003/04 Premier League crown which saw Arsene Wenger's side go unbeaten for the entire season.
11. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had played in Sweden, Holland, Italy, Spain and France winning League titles in every country listed above when he signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2016 on a Bosman free transfer, following the expiration of his contract with Ligue 1 side PSG.
In his first season at Manchester United Zlatan scored the winning goal in both the Community Shield and League Cup Final for Manchester United. However, Ibrahimovic's season was ended with a knee injury that cast doubt over his future due to the Swede having only signed a one year contract with the Red Devils.
In August 2017 it was announced that Zlatan had agreed a new one-year contract with Manchester United. Ibrahimovic has won over 20 trophies in his distinguished career and will be aiming to claim a Premier League title this season with United once he returns from injury.
