3 Jun 2026 16:01 BST |
8 min read
With all the action on the field during the 2026 World Cup, it’ll be easy for some to forget that a transfer window will be going on in the background.
And, for some stars, they’ll be using the tournament as a shop window to find new clubs due to their status as free agents.
A number of high-profile players will compete at the World Cup having left their previous club at the expiration of their contracts in June, so let’s look at 10 that can be picked up for nothing in the summer.
Andy Robertson
Andy Robertson will leave Liverpool as one of the greatest transfers in the history of the club. Signed for just over €9 million in the summer of 2017, he went on to become an iconic figure at Anfield, helping them to two Premier League triumphs as well as the Champions League.
In the 2025/26 season, he was in and out of the team due to the signing of Milos Kerkez but, at 32, still has plenty to give and has been strongly linked with a switch to Tottenham, while elite clubs in Italy are interested, too.
There’s also the possibility that he completes a switch to boyhood club Celtic, though wages may prove a stumbling block on that one as he decides his future while at the World Cup with Scotland.
Casemiro
Jamie Carragher famously questioned whether the football had “left” Casemiro during a tough time for the Brazilian at Manchester United. However, the Red Devils’ improvement under Michael Carrick in the second half of the season saw them qualify for the Champions League, and Casemiro was a major part of that.
When it was announced that he would be leaving upon the expiration of his contract, there were some who questioned whether it was perhaps a season too soon to let him go as he can still offer so much.
Truth be told, if he wasn’t on such high wages, the club would have probably kept him.
It is looking likely that Casemiro will head to Major League Soccer, potentially with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
John Stones
John Stones has been a brilliant servant to Manchester City and he was given a guard of honour as a substitute in the final game of the season against Villa to see him walk off into the sunset.
Persistent injury issues meant that he was no longer considered a key player under Pep Guardiola and, at 32, he still has one meaningful move left in him.
One very interesting proposition has apparently come from Bayern Munich, though there is the possibility he goes back to former club Everton.
He leaves City having won six Premier League titles and the Champions League, among numerous other trophies.
Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka’s situation at Bayern Munich came down to a classic football crossroads where a club’s rebuilding plans clash with a high-earning player’s desire to fight for his place.
The German, who will represent his nation this summer in Julian Nagelsmann’s squad, is one of the highest-earning players at Bayern but has not been a key player for some time, with Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic favoured in those midfield spots.
Interestingly enough, the presence of Pavlovic in the German squad is why Goretzka won’t start for them, either.
Links to Arsenal have died down in recent months, while Juventus links have intensified.
As with all the players on this list, the MLS is an option.
David Alaba
For the past decade, David Alaba has cemented his status as one of Europe’s elite defenders, excelling at both left-back and centre-back. However, following a gruelling sequence of injuries at Real Madrid, the veteran now finds himself at an uncertain point in his career.
The turning point came in December 2023, when a devastating ACL tear sidelined him for 13 months. By the time he finally returned to action in January 2025, Real Madrid had already evolved; new center-backs had been signed, young talent had emerged, and Alaba’s attempts to regain his footing were continually hampered by persistent, nagging setbacks.
With confirmation that he will leave the Spanish capital when his contract expires this summer, the upcoming months serve as a crucial audition. Alaba will be fighting to prove his fitness and secure a spot at another top-tier European club, marking what will almost certainly be the final major move of his illustrious career.
Man Utd, Inter, Juventus and clubs from Saudi Arabia are interested.
Ibrahima Konate
It is not an exaggeration to say that Ibrahima Konate had a terrible season at Liverpool in 2025/26.
Though the club overall struggled to defend their Premier League crown and make an impact in Europe, he was one of the worst offenders for the decline in individual performance level.
The Reds wanted him to stay, but various outlets reported that club and player were miles apart when it came to wages, which will lead to his departure.
Konate has proven to be a solid defender in the past and Real Madrid will be hoping he can find previous form when he inevitably signs on with Los Blancos in what has been one of the worst-kept secrets of the season.
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool announced that Mohamed Salah would leave the club this summer, not even at the expiration of his contract, but rather via a mutual contract termination.
Though that seems counterproductive as they will not receive a transfer fee, the time has undoubtedly come for the Egyptian to leave the club after a lacklustre season on the pitch and a chaotic one of it, too, in which he publicly clashed with now-sacked manager Arne Slot on more than one occasion.
Last season, he broke the record for the most goal contributions in a single 38-game Premier League season but in 2025/26 he only managed 14, while a severe drop in pace and running power was there for everyone to see.
He’s been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for ages, though Galatasaray and, again, the MLS are options, too.
Luka Modric
It is highly likely that Luka Modric will sign a contract extension to remain with Milan into the 2026/27 season but at the time of writing, he’ll become a free agent in June.
He may be 40 years old, but the Croatian magician proved his quality this past season as he was a shining light in an otherwise dismal campaign for the Rossoneri.
Even at his advanced age, he still has the talent to run games in the slower tempo of Serie A which maybe says more about the league than him, but he’ll probably stay with Milan and again be a key player next year.
No other club has really been mentioned as a possible destination.
Bernardo Silva
It is undoubtedly the end of an era at Man City at the moment as Stones, manager Pep Guardiola and maverick attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva will all leave this summer.
It seems like the Portuguese superstar has been around and performing to a high level forever, but he is only 31 and so still has the cache to earn a lucrative free transfer to an elite European club.
He would still walk into the XIs of most clubs on the continent and that’s why he has been linked with the likes of Juventus, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
It appears he has his heart set on the Blaugrana, though, and is apparently willing to slash his wage demands to make the deal happen.
Xaver Schlager
In January, Xaver Schlager was close to agreeing a move to Juventus but that fell through as the Italian giants apparently moved on to other targets, while his wage demands proved to be an issue, too.
A curious link with Celtic then emerged but, if Juve baulked at his wages then the Scottish champions certainly weren’t going to accomodate that outlay.
Since then, things have gone quiet as to who he will sign for, but he is definitely on his way, seeking a new challenge away from RB Leipzig.
In an interview with RBLive, he expressed a desire to leave the Bundesligs and experience new surroundings, but stopped short of naming any clubs who were interested in his services, which means the World Cup is definitely a shop window for him this summer.
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