Some of the most important business in the January transfer window could be free transfers for next year
This time of year the attention of Premier League fans is justifiably focused on the January transfer window. Fans are dreaming of their favorite club acquiring a superstar to put them over the top. What’s sometimes forgotten though, is that there are really talented players available on free transfers this month. They might not arrive in the Premier League until next season, but they often represent the best business.
After all, why pay a huge transfer fee for a talented player when you can get them for free? You can’t get more value than that. The smartest clubs have already been positioning themselves to talk to these impending free agents for months. It can be quite awkward to start negotiating with players who will (presumably) remain with their current clubs for several more months, but it’s still something every club does.
Don’t forget that upon occasion, these free transfer negotiations are the springboard to January transfer moves. It’s not impossible to foresee a situation where a club turns a player’s head about a move after the season and then manages to negotiate a fee to bring them on in January.
So keep a look out in the tabloids for rumors on these five players in terms of their free transfers. They could make a huge Premier League impact sooner than you think.
Next: Ezequiel Lavezzi