Summer transfer window 2022 top players available on a free: Who is out of contract and where will they sign?

The summer transfer window provides a chance for clubs to hit the reset button, with the previous season over and a new one on the horizon. This summer there's an unusually large crop of talented players who are out of contract and available on the open market.

More players than ever have made the increasingly popular decision to run down their contracts and have a larger say in their ultimate destination. Additionally, players realize that if a prospective club doesn't have to pay a transfer fee for a player's services, that's money that instead could be allocated towards a bidding war for their salary.

For clubs, the opportunity to sign a player on a free transfer allows them to avoid negotiations with two parties and instead just focus on terms with the player's camp.

Sporting News brings you the best players currently available on the open market, as well as others who have already determined their final destination.

MORE: Which teams are in the 2022-23 Champions League?

Players out of contract in summer transfer window 2022

The following list is a selection of the notable players out of contract this summer and therefore available to sign on a free transfer at this very moment. Some players could eventually re-sign with their current club (and some did), but many will be selecting new teams.

Goalkeepers

A pair of veteran 'keepers Tottenham goakeeper Hugo Lloris (35 years old) and Inter Milan's Samir Handanovic (37) will be sticking around with their club. It's unclear what the future holds for David Ospina and Sam Johnstone.

MORE: Top 10 star players at AFCON 2022

Defenders

Out-of-contract Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger joined Real Madrid and Bayern Munich's Niklas Sule was snatched by Borussia Dortmund.

American John Brooks has an uncertain future after a down year at Wolfsburg.

Midfielders

In addition to Pogba, there are plenty of other midfielders in their prime who are available. Real Madrid's Isco could trigger a bidding war.

Forwards

The future destinations of Dembele and Dybala will carry some intrigue, while Divock Origi's arrival at AC Milan is only needing the official announcement.

Lorenzo Insigne signed a pre-contract agreement with Toronto FC, set to join the MLS club in the summer.

Top players available on a free in summer transfer window 2022

Isco

• Age: 30
• Position: Attacking midfielder
• Last club: Real Madrid
• Rumored destinations: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Wolves, Sevilla

A 30-year-old with plenty of top-tier experience at Real Madrid, Isco's usage with Los Blancos waned heavily under Carlo Ancelotti.

Still, the Spaniard would be a fantastic addition for a club looking to increase its midfield flow and creativity. There's been little solid movement on his future, but Sevilla would be an ideal landing point as he looks to stay with a Champions League club in Spain.

Andrea Belotti

• Age: 28
• Position: Center forward
• Last club: Torino FC
• Rumored destinations: Newcastle, Toronto FC, West Ham, Atalanta, Fiorentina

Torino had their chances to cash in and sell Belotti for a significant return over the years, and each time the club resisted. The gamble did not pay off and Belotti will now leave for free this summer though his name isn't remotely as hot as it was two years ago.

He could stay in Italy with the likes of Atalanta or Fiorentina, make a move to England and play for Newcastle or West Ham who are reportedly in play, and an offer from MLS side Toronto FC is also apparently an option.

Players signed on a free transfer in summer transfer window 2022

Some players have already settled on a final destination, with their next club already picked out.

Here is a list of the top players available this summer on a free transfer who have put pen to paper on a new contract, either with their old club or with a new team.

Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Easily the most high-profile and most valuable young player in the world, Kylian Mbappe's future had been highly speculated for some time.

Amidst the very public process, Mbappe seemed to be down to just two choices, both extremely lucrative offers from current club PSG and Spanish giants Real Madrid. Shockingly, while Real Madrid seemed the clear frontrunner, Mbappe announced on May 21 that he would be staying at PSG on a three-year contract.

The rumored contract will see Mbappe earn massive wages, and he still could join Real Madrid eventually. Still just 23 years old, it's already rumored that Mbappe will spend two more seasons at PSG and then look to move to Real Madrid, netting PSG a transfer fee in the process.

MORE: Kylian Mbappe contract & salary details with PSG

Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)

The former Chelsea defender had reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Real Madrid weeks before the official announcement on June 2.

He said his goodbyes to Chelsea fans via a May 20 Players Tribune article. He played at the club since a transfer from AS Roma in July 2017.

Franck Kessie (Barcelona)

The 25-year-old was a massive part of AC Milan's scudetto push this season, and multiple reports have indicated that he intends to move to Barcelona this summer at the expiration of his contract.

The reports say Kessie has signed a four-year contract through the summer of 2026, but Barcelona are in a holding pattern on announcing new signings due to their financial situation. It is believed that players need to be transferred out of the club before anyone new can be brought in.

Paul Pogba (Juventus)

The mercurial midfielder decided not extended his contract at Manchester United, and instead moves back to his old club Juventus. The Old Lady let Pogba leave for a massive transfer fee, only to re-acquire him on a free transfer a few years later, an excellent bit of business.

Pogba will return to the club where he played his best, and the Frenchman could see yet another revival as Juventus push for a return to the top of the Serie A table.

Christian Eriksen (Man United)

After collapsing on the field at the 2021 Euros, Christian Eriksen has made a remarkable and inspiring return to football. His short-term contract with Brentford proved to be a revelation for the Bees, and Eriksen helped lift the club to Premier League safety, proving he's still at the top of his game in the process.

At 30 years old, Eriksen doesn't have a lot of time left in his prime, but he's done more than enough to prove he's ready to help a club at a European level. He joins Man United as one of the first signings by new manager Erik ten Hag, ready to help Bruno Fernandes in the creative department.

Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)

In January, it seemed that Ousmane Dembele would surely leave Barcelona this summer on a free transfer, having been frozen out of the team for refusing to sign a new contract. After impressing on the pitch through the second half, it appeared he had regained new leverage to negotiate with other clubs.

Instead, those talks sputtered. There were rumors of a deal with Chelsea, but that never materialized, and he returns to Barcelona with his tail between his legs. Dembele's return is a boost for the Catalan club that benefitted greatly from the Frenchman's second-half revival last season.

Paulo Dybala (AS Roma)

On May 15, Paulo Dybala announced on social media that this season would be his last with Juventus. The 28-year-old Argentine has suffered through a difficult season, and he departs Turin with his contract expiring.

"I thought we would have stayed together a few more years but destiny has led us down different paths," Dybala said in his farewell post.

After a long and drawn-out process, Dybala joined Roma where Jose Mourinho reportedly convinced the Argentine himself to join. How will Dybala's addition help the club's push for finishing in a Champions League place? Both club and player need each other to spark a revival, which could make for a perfect match.

What is a free transfer in football?

Thanks to the court ruling in favor of Jean-Marc Bosman in 1995, the modern game has been transformed by the free transfer.

Prior to this ruling, clubs in Europe retained the rights to a player even after the expiration of a contract, meaning other teams wishing to acquire that player still had to pay a transfer fee. This gave clubs undue control over a player's future, and the length of a contract was relatively insignificant.

Since the ruling, players have been free to sign with any club on a "pre-contract agreement" up to six months before the expiration of their contract, giving players leverage in the free market. It is known as a "free" transfer because there is no transfer fee required to acquire the player, although often when it comes to top players, the ultimate cost is far from "free" with agent fees and a bidding war for wages often driving up the price.

Players have utilized this power at an increasing rate over the past few years, as they have realized clubs are willing to pay higher wages for players on free transfers. The equation is simple: Money previously earmarked for a transfer fee is instead allocated towards a more competitive wage package.