Top 2025 Free Agents: Mohamed Salah, Lionel Messi & More Stars Set to Leave for Free

Discover the top 2025 football free agents, including Mohamed Salah, Lionel Messi, Joshua Kimmich, and more. Explore their potential moves, transfer rumors, and where they could land next season.

Jan 2, 2025 - 00:21
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Top 2025 Free Agents: Mohamed Salah, Lionel Messi & More Stars Set to Leave for Free
Top free agents in 2025 football - Photo Credits (Goal.com)

By the time the calendar flipped to 2025, the transfer market began heating up, and while big-money moves may be a little muted in the January window, there is one area in which clubs really want to grasp any opportunity which presents itself: the free agent market. Indeed, it's set to be a huge year of transfer speculation, as numerous top players enter the final six months of their contracts in 2025-where superstars will be allowed to negotiate their moves with interested parties-making the next few months really important for clubs and fans alike.

Read also: The 10 Premier League Stars Who Could Use a January Transfer to Revitalize Their Careers

The following article identifies 13 of the best free agents who might dominate this summer transfer window in 2025, some of whom have grown into household names, while some might blossom into superstars. What players might leave, and what impacts should be expected with a new team? Let's go in-depth with the detailed information on those top free agents and their possible signings with several clubs.

1. Mohamed Salah-Liverpool

Arguably, Mohamed Salah is the most talked-about free agent going into 2025; since he joined Liverpool from Roma, he has been a mainstay for the club. But with his turbulent contract situation, the future of the Egyptian attacker at Anfield is hanging by a thread. Currently 32, Salah is having arguably one of the best seasons of his career, chalking 37 goal involvements in just 26 appearances. Though a move to Saudi Arabia is, according to rumors, very much on the cards, Liverpool will be hopeful their talisman commits to a new deal. His exit will indeed send shockwaves throughout the footballing world since every top European club would love to have him.

2. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Over the years, Joshua Kimmich has grown into Bayern Munich's midfield. The 29-year-old German is among the finest defensive midfielders in the world, possessing great vision, tactical acuity, and leadership. Bayern Munich have offered him a new deal, but Kimmich has not committed, which has seen him linked with moves elsewhere. Barcelona and Manchester City are said to be interested, while any potential free transfer will find him becoming one of the hottest properties of the summer.

3. Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool

Full-back has grown into one of the best creatives in the Premier League, changing the mould on what a right-back can do with his excellent crossing and imagination. Of late, there have been quite a number of talks about Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool, with Real Madrid reportedly very serious about landing him. While Liverpool want to extend his stay at Anfield, reports indicate Alexander-Arnold has already told the club he will head to Madrid. If he leaves as a free agent, then that might be one excellent deal which the merengues cannot let pass-considering what skills he has.

4. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool

Having been the mainstay at Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk has been amongst the best centre-backs in world football for a number of years now. Still, there is a growing murmur of uncertainty over his contract situation. While still a starter for Liverpool at 33, expect Van Dijk to attract an astronomical deal that sees him into the twilight of his career. And with him likely to leave Anfield, that gap in Anfield will be unimaginable for Liverpool to fill, with clubs like Barcelona and Juventus already setting their sights on the free agent Dutchman.

5. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

The GOAT himself-Lionel Messi-who will be seeking free agency this coming summer. While he is bound to extend his stay with Inter Miami, speculations will always be there regarding the 37-year-old whenever interests from the top European Clubs show up. Now Messi would have the option to opt whether he wants to retire here in the U.S. or entertain the mega offer coming for Saudi Arabia or one from other MLS teams. It is this, along with how bright he is on the field, that makes him an interesting free agent even at such a phase of his career.

6. Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

Alphonso Davies has since become a revelation at Bayern Munich, with the blistering pace down the left flank and attacking threats down the final stages of his contract with Bayern Munich. Bayern stands at the last phase of negotiations in his contract, but Davies has kept a host of clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Liverpool updated. For any team that wants options up front and in the back, he will prove to be a game changer. He, therefore, will be one of the best free agents to look out for in 2025.

7. Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)

Jonathan Tah has been the most consistent center-back in the Bundesliga, and after refusing to renew his contract with Bayer Leverkusen, the door swung wide when big European clubs came knocking. Of course, he may be an addition to complete any team in need of quality in the center-back department, with interest from teams such as Barcelona, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. With physique, leadership, and reading of the game, he is all there.

8. Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne has always struggled with injury, but when fit, he is among the best midfielders in the world. His imagination and vision to take charge of matches are second to none. At 33, the future of De Bruyne at Manchester City is really not certain, with his contract going into the final stages. A player reportedly monitored by clubs from Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia, with how De Bruyne would be able to leave for free with the view to find a new challenge.

9. Jonathan David - Lille

Jonathan David - 17 goals in 26 appearances this season for Lille and long courted by top clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona. With his contract running down, the 24-year-old Canadian striker will have many suitors and can be just the signing any club needs in the coming transfer window to spearhead its attack.

10. Neymar (Al Hilal)

Ever since the headline transfer to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Neymar has really struggled with injuries, putting question marks over his future. Recently, he has spoken about staying in Saudi Arabia, but that situation might be fluid at any time, and Al Hilal might just end his contract prematurely. With Neymar being a free agent, a number of clubs across Europe and beyond would give him a new lease on life.

11. Amad Diallo - Manchester United

He's been the spark of what has been otherwise a pretty abysmal Manchester United season. He's still chipping in decently with 12 goals in just over 1,600 minutes with the action, and at 21, the Ivorian winger finds his contract situation growing precariously out. As reportedly, United talks with him about a new deal, but Diallo's good form might just bring a move for him this summer brought in by other clubs.

12. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)

There are few more consistent performers among the current crop of Premier League forwards than Son Heung-min, but the South Korean is very much out of contract in north London. Spurs hold an option to extend that deal into next season, yet that's gone very quiet and speculation regarding his future will surely commence in earnest. A free transfer could see him move on to one of Europe's elite, with his goalscoring ability and work rate arguably making him appealing to a raft of top teams.

13. Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich)

Leroy Sané's sojourn in Bavaria might just be over as a mediocre spell at Bayern Munich could see him leave Germany's capital anytime soon. As a matter of fact, he hasn't lived to the expectations that were probably expected of him since his arrival from Manchester City in 2020. The German champions won't be giving him another deal, and so Sané can be captured for free, with some Premier League clubs probably keeping an eye on his signature.

Conclusion: Free Agent Frenzy 2025

The 2025 summer transfer window will be among the most dramatic in recent times, with a whole list of top talents on free transfers. While some are capable of changing any team they eventually end up with, the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, and Lionel Messi will surely keep them under the radar of clubs in and around Europe. Obviously, this is a story that continues to watch, with wheels from January negotiations capable of cranking at any moment for the 2025 free agent market.