The list includes several Champions League winners.
The season is not yet over, but we already know some football players who have become free agents. Technically, their contracts expire in June, but their current clubs have already announced the players' departure at the season's end. In our list, there are seven star footballers. Many can be confidently called legends of the clubs they are leaving.
Roberto Firmino: Liverpool → free agent
It's hard to imagine the current Liverpool without Firmino. After all, he has spent eight years at the club. The forward has many pleasant memories, including triumphs in the Champions League (2018/2019 season) and victories in all domestic tournaments. This season has been challenging for Bobby. He was sidelined for one and a half months due to an injury in the winter and was left out of the Premier League squad six times in the spring. Despite this, Firmino still scored 11 goals in the league.
In May, Liverpool announced that the Brazilian would leave the club due to the expiration of his contract. Firmino bid a proper farewell to the team. He scored a goal in each of the final two Premier League matches. And he then prepared 200 gift boxes, which he distributed to friends, family members, teammates, and Liverpool staff. Now Roberto has the opportunity to negotiate with other clubs.
James Milner: Liverpool → free agent
The Englishman remains in demand even at 37 years old. A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that Milner would leave Liverpool, but he won't be without work for long. The veteran will sign a contract with Brighton, which will play in European competitions for the first time in their history. James dutifully served Liverpool for eight years (332 matches), and the Anfield staff awarded him an original gift.
As a farewell gesture to the club legend, they presented him with a piece of turf from the stadium. Specifically, the section where the penalty spot is located. Milner spent eight years taking penalties from that spot, providing work for the staff at Anfield. The stadium personnel had to mark a new location repeatedly. "Dear James, it's time for you to take care of the penalty spots yourself," read the humorous card accompanying the turf.
Naby Keita: Liverpool → free agent
The English club bought the midfielder in the summer of 2018 and spent significantly on the African player. Keita's transfer to Liverpool cost €60 million (according to Transfermarkt). Unlike Milner and Firmino, Keita stayed at Liverpool for a shorter period. The 2022/2023 season has been challenging for Naby. He missed the first part due to injury and played only 13 matches (487 minutes) in all competitions in the second part. For comparison, last season Keita played 40 matches (2088 minutes). Naby may continue his career at Barcelona or Milan. At least, such options have been mentioned in the press.
Sergio Busquets: Barcelona → Free Agent
Busquets is leaving Barcelona. Yes, you understood it correctly. He went through the Catalan youth system, played for the second team, and since 2008, he has played for the first team. It's worth reminding that Sergio has played 722 matches for Barça—a remarkable achievement! The club relied on the experienced player (34 years old) this season, as he appeared on the field 42 times. However, financial issues turned out to be more significant than his status.
Barcelona's head coach, Xavi, also emphasizes the importance of Busquets. He named finding a replacement for Sergio as the club's top priority in the upcoming transfer window. Now the Blaugrana need a high-level midfielder. Busquets himself didn't rule out the possibility of returning to Barcelona. "I'm leaving, but I'm not saying goodbye," were his words at the farewell ceremony. Sergio won his 32nd trophy with the Catalan team this season, second only to Messi's 35.
Jordi Alba: Barcelona → Free Agent
Alba's numbers may be more modest than Busquets', but he has also earned the title of Barcelona legend. After all, Jordi spent 11 years with the club (459 matches) and won 18 titles with the team. He also appeared on the field 30 times this season. Spanish insiders reported that Alba forgave the club a substantial sum of money that he could have received as bonuses.
A noble gesture! Even Lionel Messi didn't overlook Alba's departure and wished him luck in his new club. By the way, Jordi's contract was initially intended for another season, but the parties agreed on an early departure. One of the options for continuing his career is Atletico (Mundo Deportivo).
Lucas Moura: Tottenham → Free Agent
The Brazilian is leaving the London club after five and a half years since his move from PSG. In 2019, Moura delivered a remarkable performance in the Champions League semi-final. His hat-trick in the second leg against Ajax (3-2) shocked the opponent. Tottenham was trailing 0-3 in the aggregate score after three halves, and only Moura scored. The third goal was devastating for Ajax—they had neither the strength nor the time to recover. Moura will surely want to forget the current season as quickly as possible. He suffered an injury in the first part, and in the second part, he rarely made it into the squad.
Raphael Guerreiro: Borussia Dortmund → Free Agent
Seven years ago, the German club lured the player from the modest "Lorient" and paid €12 million for him. Both sides had a fantastic opportunity to part ways in a glorious scenario. Borussia was just 90 minutes away from the long-awaited championship title, but after the final whistle, they could only bury their faces in the grass.
Guerreiro said goodbye to the club the next day, unable to hold back tears. Overall, Guerreiro had a solid season—6 goals and 14 assists in 36 matches. Unsurprisingly, the WhoScored portal included the player in the Bundesliga team of the season.
30.05.2023