With a plethora of players across Europe’s top leagues seeing their contracts expire this summer. We’ve taken a look at a potential free agent starting XI across a 4-3-3 formation.
Will a serial silverware winner be available for free?
Mike Maignan
If clubs are in the market for an experienced title-winning goalkeeper, AC Milan captain Maignan could be the name at the top of their belated Christmas lists.
Not only has the French international lifted last season’s Supercoppa Italiana, but the sensational shot-stopper has also won the 2021/22 Serie A title.
Maignan has only missed one of the Rossoneri’s league matches this season, and that was due to a calf problem in gameweek four against Udinese.
However, he was inserted straight back in between the sticks, in their massive 2-1 win over defending champions Napoli eight days later. You might think it’s slightly strange that a move away is even being discussed.
However, with Milan not playing any European football this season after a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the 2024/25 campaign, it could be why Maignan is yet to sign a new contract.
The lure of reported interest from Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain might have swayed the Frenchman’s attention away from the San Siro as well.
Are you in the need of defensive reinforcements?
Dayot Upamecano
The first of our defenders who could potentially be on the move throughout the January transfer window is Bayern Munich’s Upamecano.
The three-time Bundesliga winner has cemented his reputation as a formidable opponent for any opposition during his eight-year spell in the top flight of German football initially with Leipzig and Bayern.
The fully-fledged French international surprisingly hasn’t put pen to paper on a new contract at the Allianz Arena despite participating in 12 of a possible 15 Bundesliga matches this season.
He has also featured in all six of the Bavarians’ 2025/26 Champions League phase encounters, which included playing 90 minutes in the 2-1 win at defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Incidentally, Upamecano has been linked with a longer stay in the French capital over the last few weeks.
With manager Vincent Kompany having insane depth in his centre-back department, the Frenchman certainly isn’t surplus to requirements, but a change of scenery could be on the cards.
Antonio Rüdiger
Despite reportedly having a made a decision amid PSG interest, with Rüdiger turning down the French footballing heavyweights lucrative advances to fight for his place at Real Madrid. Everyone is still entitled to run out of patience at the end of the day.
Only seven appearances this season, primarily due to a hamstring injury and the arrival of Dean Huijsen this summer, they could be the factors that see Rüdiger move to pastures new.
With the January transfer window in Spain opening today, Rüdiger still has the next 31 days to decide if a move away would be the best option.
He could easily depart the Santiago Bernabéu, especially with the FIFA World Cup scheduled for later this year, and his position in Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI not yet concrete.
Andres Christensen
Next in our impending free agent defensive list is a former Champions League winner in the form of Barcelona’s Christensen.
The Dane has only started three of the Spanish heavyweights’ matches across all competitions this season, with manager Hansi Flick seemingly considering the Dane outside of his current plans.
Having been capped 80 times by Denmark, the experienced centre-back shouldn’t struggle to find a suitable suitor either in January or in the summer.
His 30 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign seem like a distant memory, considering he only participated in six matches due to respective Achilles tendon irritation and muscle injuries.
Despite no fresh transfer talk surrounding Christensen’s future being made available to any potential interested parties, AC Milan have been rumoured to have an interest as of August last year. Now injury-free, only time will tell if we see any activity involving Christensen before the end of the window.
Óscar Mingueza
To conclude our observation of defenders who might be seeking new employment, potentially sooner rather than later, is Celta Vigo’s right-back Mingueza.
Like Upamecano, the Spaniard has heavily featured for his domestic side throughout the 2025/26 campaign. Seen in 14 LaLiga matches out of a possible 17, and featuring in all but one of Celta’s six Europa League phase games, a new deal is surely hiding somewhere.
Celestes’ first-choice right-back across the last two years would certainly improve any defence if the opportunity was allowed to them.
