Out of contract in 2022: Football's best free agents at the end of the season

Some of Europe's greats are into the final year of their contracts and there are some huge names who could leave for next summer

From Kylian Mbappe to Gareth Bale, Complete 24 Vibes takes a look at the players who will be available to sign for free once their contracts next summer.

  Paul Pogba | MF | Manchester United

Paul Pogba currently has a deal at Old Trafford that ends next summer, after agreeing to a one-year extension to 2022.

The French international has endured a mixed bag of success at Manchester United due to several injury woes and inconsistent form, even admitting that “it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else”.

He has shown promising performances in recent months, though he has been regularly linked with a move back to former side Juventus.

  Juan Mata | MF | Man Utd

Spain international Juan Mata's contract at Old Trafford runs until 2022, after extending for a further year in 2021.

He has outlined his determination to remain in Manchester for more years: "When you play your first game you feel like you are in a new beginning, a very exciting moment in your life playing for this club. I don't want to stop here, I want to keep going and going, and keep adding games in a United shirt."

    

    Kylian Mbappe | CF | Paris Saint-Germain 

Kylian Mbappe is undoubtedly one of the brightest talents in football today, but questions still remain about whether or not he will remain at Paris Saint-Germain beyond summer 2022. Real Madrid have been fishing for his signature, and Mbappe told TNT Brasil: "I have spent five extraordinary years here, I have taken advantage of every moment and I continue to do so.  I am happy both on the pitch and in my personal life.

"Now there are many things, great challenges and I have already spoken about that."

But when asked about whether he will still be at PSG once his contract ends, he added: "I'm here, I'm still here, I'm here this season."

   Luis Suarez | ST | Atletico Madrid

After signing for Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in 2020 on a two-year contract, Luis Suarez is reportedly keen on renewing his deal at the Wanda Metropolitano according to various sources. At 34 years old, Suarez is now considered one of the "older" bracket, though his goal contributions since his notorious exit from Barcelona on these grounds have been impressive.

  Ousmane Dembele | RW | Barcelona 

Ousmane Dembele has been touted for a potential exit at Barcelona as contract talks appear to be mooted, though club president Joan Laporta insisted that they plan on keeping the French international – and that he was better than Kylian Mbappe.

“We have a very good relationship with Dembele and he wants to stay. We also want him because he is a great player," Laporta said.

“These are situations that need a negotiation with the representatives who want the best for the player. I am enthusiastic about Dembele, he is better than Mbappe.”

  Paulo Dybala | FW | Juventus

Paulo Dybala has been one of the stars of Juventus since his arrival since from Palermo in 2015, but speculation about whether or not he will prolong his stay at the Old Lady have circulated.

But the Argentina international seemed to hint heavily at his long-term future at Juventus, telling German tennis star Alexander Zverev when asked if he would still be in the Italian city in five years: "Maybe, I hope so. If you come to Turin in the next five years you will find me".

   Isco | MF | Real Madrid

GOAL confirms that Isco's team will plan a decision on his future at Real Madrid during the coming months as he continues to fall out of favour with Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.

With Real Madrid looking unlikely to renew his deal, Isco could either plan for a winter exit or leave entirely for free come the summer.

  Alexandre Lacazette | CF | Arsenal

Alexandre Lacazette's future at the Emirates remains unclear, as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta dodged questions about the Frenchman's contract at a recent press conference.

Arteta said on the forward, who has been with the Gunners since 2017: “There is so much talk. What I can say is that I’m really happy with what Laca is doing at the moment, and I’ve said that we are not going to be talking about any of that until the end of the season.”

  Divock Origi | CF | Liverpool

Divock Origi is a Liverpool legend in his own right, not as flashy as Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane but a player responsible for many of the Reds' most crucial wins. Despite being a second, or third choice, to Jurgen Klopp's favoured front-three, Origi manages to make the most out of his limited minutes when he does come on, including scoring a stoppage-time winning goal against Wolves in December.

  Gareth Bale | RW | Real Madrid

After a much-beleaguered nine years in the Spanish capital with a transfer fee that broke English football records, Gareth Bale's contract with Real Madrid is finally up in the summer. Bale's infamy within the Real Madrid team – and with the fans – has long since been documented, with his agent Jonathan Barnett telling Deportes Cuatro recently: "It's not important, I don't care what they think. I don't care about them [Real Madrid fans]. Why should I care? I think the fans treated him disgustingly."

A possible option for Bale is returning to Tottenham, where he spent a loan spell in 2020-21.

  Andreas Christensen | Chelsea | CB

Chelsea have been in a contract stand-off with Andreas Christensen, with coach Thomas Tuchel stating that it is up to the player to "walk the talk" about a potential renewal.

"We are waiting since a long time now for confirmation," Tuchel admitted. "It is on Andreas to act how he acts on the pitch, he needs to act now off the pitch, and walk the talk because he tells us that he loves Chelsea, he tells us that he wants to stay and be a big part, because he is a big part of a big club, and I think he is a perfect fit and I think that he is not done yet here."

  Antonio Rudiger | Chelsea | CB

GOAL can confirm that Chelsea are interested in signing Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana as a potential replacement for Antonio Rudiger, while Real Madrid are reportedly keen on signing the Blues defender.