New Delhi: In this crazy world of inflated transfer fees thanks to Neymar’s record-setting move to PSG in the summer of 2017 and the influx of money initially from China and more recently from Saudi Arabia, finding a quality player for less than the cost of a coffee is like a godsend for any club. Time and time again, we’ve seen clubs dip into the market for a free agent and sometimes they help transform a club.
Juventus have often been declared the kings of free transfers by many fans due to multiple signings that proved to be useful for the club in the long run. They’ve signed numerous players who have gone on to achieve great things with the club, such as Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, Sami Khedira, Dani Alves, and the best free transfer in their history, Andrea Pirlo.
Over the years, Bayern Munich have also gained a reputation for making brilliant moves that cost them nothing, signing the likes of Leon Goretzka, Raphaël Guerreiro, Daley Blind, Konrad Laimer, and the best free transfer of all time, Robert Lewandowski. Free transfers benefit both the club and the players as the club doesn’t have to pay a transfer fee and the player gets a little bump in their salary.
Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at the best free transfers that have taken place in this year’s summer transfer window.
5) Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg to Al Qadsiah)
Koen Casteels of VfL Wolfsburg applauds the fans during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern München at Volkswagen Arena on February 05, 2023 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Belgian keeper Koen Casteels became one of the first big signings for newly-promoted Al Qadsiah, joining the team on a free transfer after his contract at VfL Wolfsburg expired at the end of last season. The 31-year-old is one of the latest players to head to the middle-eastern country following the boom created by Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr. He was later joined at the club by former Real Madrid defender Nacho and former Arsenal striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
The Belgian had a long stint in Germany, first joining TSG Hoffenheim in 2011 from boyhood club Genk. He made a name for himself in Hoffenheim before moving to VfL Wolfsburg in 2015 where he stayed till the summer of this year. During his stay at Wolfsburg, he would make 275 appearances at the club, keeping 91 clean sheets in total and won two trophies with the club. Al Qadsiah claimed the Saudi Arabian second-division title in the 2023/24, securing their promotion to the Saudi Pro League.
4) Leonardo Spinazzola (AS Roma to Napoli)
SSC Napoli Unveils New Signing Leonardo Spinazzola at SSC Napoli Training Center on July 10, 2024 in Castel Volturno (Caserta), Italy. (Photo by SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images)
Italian fullback Leonardo Spinazzola was released by AS Roma following the expiry of his contract at the end of last season. He has since joined fellow Italian side Napoli and will play the upcoming season under the watchful eye of Antonio Conte, someone who can get the best out of the fullback as he fits well in Conte’s system. Napoli are going through a rebuilding phase in some sense after the horrific 2023/24 season and Spinazzola hopes to play a massive part in the same.
The Italian spent five years at Roma, joining the club in 2019 following a disappointing stint with Juventus where he was loaned on seven separate occasions, making only 10 appearances in seven years. He had a decent spell in the country’s capital making 151 appearances for the club, scoring seven and assisting 21 times while also winning the first edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
3) Piotr Zielinski (Napoli to Inter Milan)
FC Internazionale unveil new signing Piotr Zielinski at Inter Headquarters on July 06, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Mattia Pistoia – Inter/Inter via Getty Images)
Moving from one player who joined Napoli to one who left the club, Piotr Zielinski was a faithful servant to the club for several years. He’d been at the club for so long that it seemed like he would never leave Naples and was a key member of the 2022/23 Serie A winning squad. However, after a disastrous 2023/24 season he decided not to renew his contract at the club and look for a new challenge, having been at Napoli since 2016.
Zielinski has since joined Italian giants Inter Milan, becoming the first Polish player in the history of the club. Milan’s new number 7 will hope to carve out a similar career at the San Siro as he did at the Diego Maradona Stadium. A Serie A veteran, having been in the league since 2012, he made 364 appearances for the club, scoring 51 times and assisting on 46 other occasions.
2) Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham to Chelsea)
Tosin Adarabioyo dribbles the ball upfield against Wrexham AFC during the first half of a preseason friendly at Levi’s Stadium on July 24, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Following the exit of Thiago Silva, someone who also joined the club on a free transfer, Chelsea decided to bring in English centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for free. The former Manchester City academy product was a Fulham regular during his four-year spell with the club where he made 132 appearances for the club and scored 5 goals. Standing at 6’5″, the tall centre-back is an underrated defender and could be a solid addition to the Blues.
He becomes the first outfield player to move from Fulham to Chelsea, the only other being former backup keeper Mark Schwarzer and current third-choice goalie Marcus Bettineli. Adarabioyo was a part of Fulham’s championship-winning squad of 2021/22 and was also named in the EFL Championship Team of the Season of that year. He inherits the number 4 jersey at the club, worn by legendary players like Cesc Fabregas, Claude Makelele and Ruud Gullit.
1) Kylian Mbappe (PSG to Real Madrid)
Real Madrid new signing, Kylian Mbappe kisses the Real Madrid badge as he is unveiled at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on July 16, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Saving the best for the last, this transfer has the potential to be the best free transfer in the history of the game if the move works out. Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid was a move that everyone expected would happen at some point but no one would’ve thought that this move wouldn’t fetch PSG any money. The 25-year-old finally joins his dream club and will don the number 9 jersey at the club in his first season, just like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
He leaves PSG after spending seven years in the French capital where he made 308 appearances for the club and scored 256 goals and assisted 108 more. His contributions helped the club win 15 trophies, including six league titles. Mbappe leaves the club as its all-time top scorer, a whopping 56 goals ahead of Edinson Cavani in second and it looks like he’ll remain at the top for a very long time as the only player in their top-scorers list, who is still playing at the club is defender Marquinhos with 38 goals.
Free transfers benefit both the club and the players so let’s take a look at the best free transfers that have taken place in this year’s summer transfer window. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
