The date of January 1 is typically the time for New Year s resolutions but for some footballers in Europe s top five leagues it signals the day they can plot a lucrative move to a new club.
A number of top players, including Barcelona s Lionel Messi, are out of contract at the end of the 2021 season and from the start of the year are free to open talks with other teams.
Messi, of course, will be the one that takes the limelight but there are some other big-name players who will be free to leave their clubs for nothing in six months.
Here s the best players (and a couple of pretty good second choices) who are out of contract in 2021 and make up a free transfers XI.
FREE TRANSFERS XI (4-3-3)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Marko Dmitrovic)
The youngest g…