An eye on these attackers: 5 forwards who could move on free transfers in 2025

Every six months of the year or so, a transfer window within the footballing calendar opens. Regardless of ambition, whether a team is aiming for a title, European football or simply to avoid relegation, the transfer windows offer ample times for teams to add bodies they deem necessary. Whether it is in the summer or winter, every team has a number of weeks to bolster their ranks and improve the players that they have.

Depending on the status of their target’s contract, there are chances for teams to acquire a player they want on a free transfer if the deal with their club at the time is dwindling down. The start of each year offers teams a chance to look into players that have just six months remaining on their current deal.

There are a number of brilliant players whose contracts are due to expire in the coming summer. So, according to Transfermarkt market values, who are the best five attackers that could potentially move on a free transfer in 2025?

5. Neymar

It has been an unfortunate year or so for Neymar. The Brazilian winger moved to Saudi Arabia last year, moving on from Paris Saint-Germain after five years with the club. Just games into his debut season, however, the flashy winger suffered an ACL injury that ruled him out for around a year.

It is a far cry from the young wide player that terrorized defences as a Barcelona player, part of the famed “MSN” attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez with whom he won numerous honors, both domestically and in Europe. Neymar is still in his early 30s, so there is hope that he will return to a level at least close to what he played at prior to his injury.

Neymar signed a two-year contract with Al Hilal upon his move to Saudi Arabia, meaning that his contract is set to expire in the coming summer. It is hard to know whether the club will aim to renew his deal as while Neymar is a global name, his injuries have hardly justified his eye-watering salary. With that, maybe Neymar will be playing somewhere new in a few months.

4. Jonathan David

American-born striker Jonathan David spent much of his youth career playing in Canada, where he lived from a young age. In 2018, he moved to Europe in order to join Gent in Belgium while just a teenager. After two years with the club, David signed for Lille in 2020 where he remains at the time of writing.

David has established a reputation as a clinical and reliable goalscorer, having played a crucial role in disrupting the hegemony held by PSG over Ligue 1 when he won the league title in 2021. A Canadian international and the record scorer of all time for his country, much has been said of potential transfers for David over the years.

His contract with Lille is set to expire just months from now and as such, many teams have been put on notice. The general consensus seems to be that David is expected to leave Lille and still aged just 24, the Canadian feasibly has over a decade remaining at the highest level of football. The question, of course, becomes, which team will that be spent with?

3. Son Heung-min

South Korean superstar Son Heung-min began his professional career in Germany, after moving there in 2008 as a youth player to join Hamburg. He spent three years with the club as a senior before, in 2013, he joined Bayer Leverkusen, where he further established his reputation.

In 2015, Tottenham Hotspur came calling and Son swiftly moved to the Premier League, where he has developed from a winger with promise into a world-class forward, capable of playing either out wide or through the middle as a striker. Son, alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen, was a key part of the Mauricio Pochettino team that reached the 2019 Champions League final and at times, contested for the English top flight title.

Reports suggest that Son’s contract is due to run out in the summer. There is an extension option in that deal, which would allow the Lilywhites to extend Son’s contract until 2026 and it is more likely than not that Spurs take that option, as they would scarcely want to lose the South Korean international anyway, let alone on a free. Still, there is at least a chance, as it stands, for other teams to pitch themselves to Son as an option for the future.

2. Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah’s first stint in English football began over a decade ago when, in 2012, Chelsea signed the winger who had been playing for Basel. Salah made just a handful of appearances in London, eventually spending time on loan with Fiorentina and Roma, joining the latter permanently in 2016.

After just one full season with Roma as a permanent player of theirs, Salah returned to England in 2017 when Liverpool signed him, where he has played ever since. Salah was a crucial part of the Jurgen Klopp side that helped restore Liverpool to the bracket of title contention, winning a Premier League and Champions League under the German’s guidance.

Much has been said of Salah’s current contract situation, with the player himself having come out after matches to speak about his frustration over not having found a solution as of yet. Liverpool will surely hold on to the Egyptian, given they arguably can not afford to lose his quality, despite the fact Salah is now in his early 30s.

It seems that both parties hope for Salah to remain at Anfield, but if Liverpool are somehow unable to find a contract that both they and the winger agree on, then it would offer another team the chance to sign a truly brilliant player.

1. Leroy Sane

Winger Leroy Sane began his professional career in his native Germany with Schalke 04, debuting in 2014 and spending two seasons playing for the Gelsenkirchen side before, in 2016, he moved to Manchester City, becoming one of the first signings to arrive under their new manager, a certain Pep Guardiola.

Sane spent four years at the Etihad, blossoming into one of the world’s better wingers when at his blistering best. His lightning pace combined with his impressive dribbling and technical ability has made him a handful for even the game’s top defenders. Sane rejected a contract extension in 2020 and was swiftly sold as a result, returning to Germany to join Bayern Munich.

Sane joined a Bayern team that were fresh from a Champions League win and has since helped the club win three Bundesliga titles. Despite his obvious quality, Sane has been hampered by injuries in recent years which have interrupted the consistency he would have otherwise found.

The German international’s contract is set to come to an end this summer and while he has had evident injury troubles, the free signing of a player like Sane would be a bargain for a team if they were able to pull it off.