Real Madrid enjoyed a brilliant season, winning LaLiga comfortably before also being crown champions of Europe by beating Liverpool in Paris.
That 1-0 win at the Stade de France capped a remarkable run in the Champions League, with Los Blancos having instigated great escapes against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.
It's difficult to recall any team enduring a tougher run to Champions League success, and yet Carlo Ancelotti – who was seen as a steady if slightly underwhelming appointment – managed to mastermind arguably his greatest triumph as a coach.
There's no sign of Madrid standing still, either. While the Spanish giants may have missed out on Kylian Mbappe, the fact they were in the hunt for him is evidence enough they are in a strong financial situation, perhaps unsurprising given their generally modest – by Santiago Bernabeu standards – outlay in the transfer market over the past couple of years.
Antonio Rudiger was signed up for next season nice and early, Aurelien Tchouameni's reported €100million signing was confirmed on Saturday, and the departures of Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Isco will give Madrid plenty of room for manoeuvre when it comes to wages.
Either way, there's nothing to suggest the LaLiga champions aren't going to be stronger in the 2022-23 campaign, meaning the chasing pack – namely Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla – have work to do, given how far behind they finished this term.
Out with the old, in with the Nou
After a rocky start to 2021-22 that ultimately led to Ronald Koeman's dismissal, Xavi got Barca back on track and eventually secured second place, which was impressive given the top four looked beyond them for a while.
Nevertheless, their form did tail off a little in the final five or six weeks of the season, losing four of the final nine matches across all competitions.
Barca's season in general vindicated the decision to ditch Koeman for the inexperienced but well-regarded Xavi. It also proved the potential in the Blaugrana squad, as well as a degree of mental weakness at the business end.
Of course, it would be much easier for the club to build on the positives of this season were they not in a financial quagmire equivalent to over €1billion in debt.
As such, reports suggest Barca will largely be relying on free transfers, two of which are said to have been concluded already. Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen have apparently agreed to join, while Cesar Azpilicueta may follow the latter from Chelsea.
But the big question mark hangs over Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich talisman has made no secret of his desire to leave the Bundesliga, and Camp Nou is where he sees himself next – but Die Roten are playing hardball, and who can blame them?
A whole raft of players are expected to depart Barca, however, with Ousmane Dembele seemingly destined for Chelsea and the likes of Clement Lenglet, Antoine Griezmann, Samuel Umtiti, Oscar Mingueza, Riqui Puig, Martin Braithwaite and Sergi Roberto all expected to leave permanently. On top of that, Adama Traore and Luuk de Jong are highly unlikely to have their loans renewed, while Frenkie de Jong appears the most likely to deposit some serious money in the coffers, given Manchester United's interest.
But such upheaval will be difficult to contend with. Even if Lewandowski signs, it'll take something spectacular for Barca to be champions this time next year.
Finally Joao Felix's time to shine?
Diego Simeone's side were dethroned with little more than a whimper. Their title defence looked over before it ever really got started.
It was a disappointing season given many felt Atletico's squad was strengthened significantly last year. Griezmann, Matheus Cunha and Rodrigo de Paul provided extra spark, creativity and goal threat, though arguably none of them quite reached expectations, even if the Brazi forward did prove a dependable option off the bench.
The departure of Luis Suarez means a new striker is likely to arrive, and early indications are Alvaro Morata may be returning – granted, that may not be enough to get Atletico fans excited.
Either way, fans and neutrals alike will once again be hoping Simeone can finally find a way to get the best out of his more creative players.
Joao Felix is still yet to shine on a consistent basis, with 2021-22 a tricky campaign in which injuries, illness and suspension contributed to him making only 24 league appearances; just 13 of those were as a starter.
His 12 goal involvements came at roughly one every 100 minutes, which is a decent return, but there is clearly an element of Simeone not completely trusting him yet, otherwise he'd surely have started more frequently.
The exit of Suarez might allow for Joao Felix to take on a little more responsibility in attack, and who's to say that won't be the making of him?
No one doubts the talent's there; he just needs to show he can be Atletico's talisman on a regular basis. If he can, Atletico may again be the most likely to stop Los Blancos.
A Sevilla summer of upheaval
Sevilla fans are accustomed to seeing most of their squad replaced over the course of a transfer window – it's just what Monchi does.
While their rebuild may not be quite as extensive this year as in past windows, expect to see plenty of ins and outs; in fact, there's already been one key departure.
Diego Carlos has joined Aston Villa in a move that begins the dismantling of Julen Lopetegui's bedrock of a defence. In 2021-22, no team in LaLiga conceded fewer than Sevilla (30 goals), while only Manchester City (57) and Madrid (52) kept more clean sheets than Julen Lopetegui's side (51) across the top five leagues during the Brazilian's time at the club.
His centre-back partner Jules Kounde is widely expected to leave as well, with long-term admirers Chelsea once again able to flex their financial muscle now they're no longer sanctioned.
But while Sevilla boasted the best defence in LaLiga, it's easy to forget that for a while they looked to be the only team capable of challenging Madrid for the title.
In the end, they scraped fourth place, with their form between February 1 and the season's conclusion seeing them rank seventh with 24 points; Barca led the way with 38 in that period, while Madrid took 36.
Sevilla's biggest issue was scoring goals. Only Rafa Mir (10) reached double figures in LaLiga, with Lucas Ocampos (six) the one other to net more than five.
That – and centre-back – would appear to be where Monchi's focus will lie over the coming months, particularly now it seems Lopetegui will be staying.
But Monchi's got his work cut out keeping the team as competitive given the likely upheaval and small gap between themselves and bitter rivals Real Betis in fifth.
A title challenge like that of 2020-21 would be an impressive feat, but if Sevilla can limit the break-up of their defence and sign a reliable striker, it would become more realistic.
Karim Benzema deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, according to Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos.
A stellar season with Madrid has made Benzema one of the favourites for the accolade. He scored 44 goals and supplied 15 assists in 46 games in all competitions, helping Los Blancos win LaLiga, the Champions League and the Supercopa de Espana.
The 34-year-old scored a joint-record 10 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League, earning the competition's Player of the Season award.
Luka Modric is the only player other than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to have won the Ballon d'Or since 2008, but Roberto Carlos thinks now is Benzema's time.
"We hope that this year it can be given to him because he has had a great season and we are all eager for Karim to win the Ballon d'Or for what he has done on the pitch," he told Stats Perform ahead of his participation in Sunday's Soccer Aid match.
"He has scored goals, he is a leader and captain of Real Madrid, and it is time for him to win the Ballon d'Or."
Madrid had been linked with a move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, but the Uruguayan is reportedly set for a €100million switch to Liverpool.
"I think Benzema has done so many things for Real Madrid that today everyone wants a striker like him. Darwin has shown in Portugal to be a great striker and I wish him the best if he ends up at Liverpool," said Roberto Carlos.
Madrid's success against Liverpool in Paris made Carlo Ancelotti the first coach to win the Champions League on four separate occasions.
He has now won 23 titles during his coaching career and Roberto Carlos anticipates there will be more in the 2022-23 campaign.
"The coach is fantastic, he's fantastic. That is why he has won so many Champions Leagues and so many leagues," said Roberto Carlos.
"He is an amazing person. Real Madrid has had a great season in LaLiga, the Supercopa and the Champions League. Now they have to rest to have the same titles next season as this year."
Real Madrid have agreed a deal for Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni, who has reached terms on a six-year contract.
The Champions League holders will reportedly pay an €80million fee that could rise to €100m with add-ons for the France midfielder.
A short statement from Los Blancos read: "Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco have agreed on the transfer of the player Aurelien Tchouameni, who will be linked to the club for the next six seasons.
"Next Tuesday, June 14, at 12:00 at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Aurelien Tchouameni as a new Real Madrid player will take place after the corresponding medical examination."
Tchouameni emerged as one of the brightest young stars in European football last season.
He enjoyed a superb campaign as Monaco secured Champions League qualification with a third-placed finish in Ligue 1.
Tchouameni played 35 times for Monaco in Ligue 1, scoring three goals and providing two assists. He also found the net in the Coupe de France and Champions League.
The 22-year-old Tchouameni represents a threat at both ends of the pitch.
No Monaco player produced more successful passes in the opposition half than Tchouameni's 932, which put him seventh in Ligue 1.
He was fifth in Ligue 1 in tackles with 86 while his 260 duels won put him third in the division.
Tchouameni may have to wait for his opportunity to impact the Madrid midfield, which has a wealth of options.
Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos occupied the midfield for Madrid's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Federico Valverde played in a more advanced role in that game but is experienced in the heart of midfield, an area from which Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga made valuable contributions to Madrid's LaLiga and Champions League double last season.
The competition for places will likely limit his minutes next season, but Tchouameni could hardly ask for better mentors after signing on as an heir apparent to Kroos and Modric.
Real Madrid have agreed a deal for Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni, who has reached terms on a six-year contract.
The Champions League holders will reportedly pay an €80million fee that could rise to €100m with add-ons for the France midfielder.
A short statement from Los Blancos read: "Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco have agreed on the transfer of the player Aurelien Tchouameni, who will be linked to the club for the next six seasons.
"Next Tuesday, June 14, at 12:00 at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Aurelien Tchouameni as a new Real Madrid player will take place after the corresponding medical examination."
Tchouameni emerged as one of the brightest young stars in European football last season.
He enjoyed a superb campaign as Monaco secured Champions League qualification with a third-placed finish in Ligue 1.
Tchouameni played 35 times for Monaco in Ligue 1, scoring three goals and providing two assists. He also found the net in the Coupe de France and Champions League.
The 22-year-old Tchouameni represents a threat at both ends of the pitch.
No Monaco player produced more successful passes in the opposition half than Tchouameni's 932, which put him seventh in Ligue 1.
He was fifth in Ligue 1 in tackles with 86 while his 260 duels won put him third in the division.
Tchouameni may have to wait for his opportunity to impact the Madrid midfield, which has a wealth of options.
Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos occupied the midfield for Madrid's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Federico Valverde played in a more advanced role in that game but is experienced in the heart of midfield, an area from which Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga made valuable contributions to Madrid's LaLiga and Champions League double last season.
The competition for places will likely limit his minutes next season, but Tchouameni could hardly ask for better mentors after signing on as an heir apparent to Kroos and Modric.
Wales forward Gareth Bale will not rush into a decision on his club future, but has categorically ruled out a move to LaLiga side Getafe.
Bale will become a free agent at the end of the month when his contract with Real Madrid, where he has spent the past nine years, officially expires.
The 32-year-old has been linked with an array of clubs across Europe and in the United States, one of those being Madrid-based Getafe.
Speaking earlier this week, Getafe president Angel Torres claimed the Spanish side had been contacted by Bale's representatives regarding a possible transfer.
However, Bale denied that was the case when speaking at a news conference that was again dominated by questions regarding his next career move.
Asked if he was close to making a decision, the former Tottenham man laughed and said: "No. But I'm not going to Getafe, that's for sure.
"I just want to be playing going into the World Cup to be as fit as I can. The manager saying ideally he wants everybody to be playing, and everybody wants to be playing.
"Hopefully I can enjoy my holiday and then decide where I want to be and what I want to do to try and play games to be as fit as I can for the World Cup."
Bale won 16 trophies during his time with Madrid, but he barely played in the 2021-22 campaign, which ended with Los Blancos winning a LaLiga and Champions League double.
He featured in seven of Madrid's 56 matches in all competitions – 13 per cent – with just four of those being starts.
"Once I get back into playing regular football, my body will get more robust and a bit better," Bale said on Friday.
"It's very difficult when you're in and out of a team to get a rhythm in terms of your fitness and health.
"Any player will tell you, playing week-in week-out, your body becomes more robust, you get used to it and you get fitter. I just need to play games and I'll be good to go.
"I guess whoever I go to it'll be a win-win because hopefully I'll be playing well and getting myself ready.
"Once these internationals are over, I'll have plenty of time to go on holiday and decide my future then."
Bale inspired Wales to their first World Cup since 1958 with victory over Ukraine in last Sunday's play-off qualifying final, ending any talk of an early retirement.
That 64-year gap is the biggest between qualifications for a World Cup tournament of any nation in history, though there is uncertainty over who will be in charge of Wales in Qatar.
Rob Page has been in caretaker charge since Ryan Giggs stepped aside following his arrest on assault charges in November 2020, allegations which he denies.
Giggs' trial is due to be held in August, but Bale believes Page deserves to remain in the post.
"I think he is the long-term manager," Bale said. "I don't think there is any question in the changing room or from the fans.
"He's done an incredible job coming in in difficult circumstances. Everyone with him has a great relationship.
"We have that good mixture where we can have a bit of fun but, when we need to work, we work hard. We do it correctly. There's a great balance. He's been great for us."
The 2021-22 season may still be ongoing at international level, but Premier League and Ligue 1 clubs can officially register new signings for the next campaign following the opening of the transfer window on Friday.
Teams in LaLiga, Serie A and the Bundesliga must wait until July 1 for their business to go through – though that is not to say preparations are not already in full swing behind the scenes.
Indeed, a number of big deals are already in place and waiting to get the seal of approval, with Antonio Rudiger heading to Real Madrid and Karim Adeyemi brought in by Borussia Dortmund to replace Manchester City-bound Erling Haaland, while others – Darwin Nunez to Liverpool and Aurelien Tchouameni to Madrid – appear to be all-but complete.
One transfer saga came to an end before the window even officially opened, meanwhile, with Kylian Mbappe confirming that he is staying put at Paris Saint-Germain, despite strong interest from Madrid.
For others, there are weeks of uncertainty ahead. Having already picked out the big-name free agents up for grabs this window, Stats Perform looks at the transfer sagas that are likely to rumble on for a little while longer yet.
Player: Robert Lewandowski
Current club: Bayern Munich
Rumoured suitors: Barcelona, Real Madrid
While the futures of Mbappe and Haaland have already been resolved, arguably the world's best striker in Lewandowski is seeking pastures new after recently declaring that his time at Bayern "has come to an end" – even if the German champions do not quite see it that way.
The Poland international still has 12 months to run on his contract and Bayern are understandably reluctant to sell, even if that means forgoing a transfer fee in a year's time, making things particularly difficult for Barcelona, who are the rumoured frontrunners for his signature.
He was once again the hottest striker across Europe's top five leagues in 2021-22 when taking all competitions into account, the 33-year-old scoring 50 goals in 46 games for Bayern in what was his second-best goalscoring campaign across eight years in Bavaria, behind only the 55 netted in 2019-20.
Player: Sadio Mane
Current club: Liverpool
Rumoured suitors: Real Madrid
Whether it is to replace wantaway Lewandowski or to play alongside the prolific striker, Bayern are seemingly intent on bringing Liverpool and Senegal forward Mane to the Allianz Arena.
Bayern are reported to have had a second bid of €35.3million (£30m) turned down by Liverpool earlier this week, with the ball very much in the Reds' court – just like it is with the Bavarians and Lewandowski.
Mane would be a huge loss to Liverpool, having scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League appearances since joining at the start of 2016-17 – only Jamie Vardy (104), team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Harry Kane (134) have more – explaining their desire to snap up Nunez from Benfica.
Player: Gabriel Jesus
Current club: Manchester City
Rumoured suitors: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Real Madrid
Manchester City striker Jesus may just about be the most in-demand player up for grabs this window, with his agent confirming as many as seven clubs are interested in signing the Brazil international.
Arsenal are the only known team to be in discussions with Jesus' camp, though they are expected to face interest from the likes of rivals Tottenham and Chelsea, as well as reigning European and Spanish champions Madrid.
The stats reflect exactly why Jesus is so highly regarded – albeit not by City following the arrival of Haaland – as he has scored or assisted in 57 per cent of matches he has started in the Premier League, a figure bettered only by Salah (62 per cent), Thierry Henry (61 per cent) and City legend Sergio Aguero (60 per cent) among those to have started at least 10 games.
Player: Frenkie de Jong
Current club: Barcelona
Rumoured suitors: Manchester United
De Jong has not quite been able to match expectations at Barcelona since arriving from Ajax in a big-money deal two years ago, which the midfielder has regularly put down to being used out of position in central midfield.
The arrival of the Netherlands international's former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at United has only intensified speculation that he could be on his way out of Camp Nou, with Barca themselves needing to offload players if they are to seriously strengthen elsewhere.
De Jong will leave a void to be filled if he does move on, though, as Sergio Busquets (51) was the only Barca outfielder to feature in more games in the 2021-22 campaign than the 25-year-old (47 apps).
Player: Christopher Nkunku
Current club: RB Leipzig
Rumoured suitors: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid
Nkunku well and truly burst onto the scene in the 2021-22 campaign with a combined 51 goals and assists in 52 games for Leipzig across all competitions, meaning he near enough directly contributed to a goal per game.
Only Europe's absolute elite players, Lewandowski (56 goal involvements), Benzema (59) and Mbappe (60), outperformed Nkunku in that regard, making links with Europe's top clubs unsurprising.
Still aged only 24, the four-cap France international may well be a Ballon d'Or winner in waiting if his trajectory over the past couple of seasons is anything to go by. But with two years to run on his Leipzig contract, it will take a huge sum for the Bundesliga side to even consider cashing in.
Luka Jovic admitted he was "tired" after scoring the winner in Serbia's 1-0 win over Sweden in the Nations League on Thursday.
Jovic scored the winning goal for the Orlovi at the Friends Arena just before half-time, driving home Strahinja Pavlovic's header back across the penalty area from Dusan Tadic's corner.
The 24-year-old striker put in a commendable performance over 77 minutes despite the lack of match minutes at club level, seeing 551 minutes across all competitions for Real Madrid this past season.
After the match, Jovic revealed his fatigue was different to that of his team-mates.
"Honestly, I'm tired after this match," Jovic told RTS. "I believe the others are too, it's a long season, they’ve played a lot of games.
"I haven't played a lot of games this season, which is also a problem, probably an even bigger one than theirs. We have to tighten up, play that one more game and suffer for those three points."
The Orlovi bounced back from their opening Nations League loss in Belgrade to Norway, moving to six points with the win over Sweden, after defeating Slovenia on Sunday.
Jovic asserted it was important win, keeping Serbia in contention for promotion to League A.
"It was a very important victory for us," Jovic said. "We kind of broke back because we lost the first game in Belgrade.
"I think we played a good game, in a fight, against a quality opponent. We are going to Ljubljana to try to take three points."
Casemiro says the Real Madrid team is like something from a "movie" as Los Blancos continue to make history.
Madrid eased to their 35th LaLiga title this season, securing the Spanish top-flight triumph with four games to play.
Carlo Ancelotti's side also celebrated Champions League glory, winning the European Cup for the 14th time – more than double any other club has achieved – with victory over Liverpool in Paris.
The 1-0 win over Jurgen Klopp's men at the Stade de France last month was far less dramatic than most expected it to be, given Madrid's route to the final.
Los Blancos turned around a two-goal deficit in the second half of the second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, before staving off a Chelsea fightback to win in extra-time.
Manchester City then seemed to have one foot in the final, but a stoppage-time Rodrygo Goes double followed by Karim Benzema's extra-time penalty secured another sensational victory.
Casemiro has lifted the Champions League trophy five times as a Madrid player and the Brazil international likened their success to something that belongs in Hollywood.
"This team is from a movie. Winning five Champions Leagues in the last eight years only has one definition: making history," he told Spanish daily AS.
"The Champions League won in Paris will be remembered for life. It is the most wonderful European Cup story ever told."
Having led Milan to Champions League glory in 2003 and 2007 and done so with Madrid in 2014 and this year, Ancelotti is the most successful manager in the history of the competition.
Ancelotti is an example in everything. Everything good that happens to him deserves it. He has an infinite illusion for Madrid." Casemiro said of the legendary Italian.
Casemiro has won his Champions League titles alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who signed a one-year extension on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old revealed Madrid president Florentino Perez affectionately named the midfielders after a trio of famous Spanish opera singers.
"Florentino calls us 'The Three Tenors'. Kroos, Modric and I have earned the right to be remembered for many years," Casemiro continued.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement has apologised to Liverpool fans for using tear gas at the Champions League final and his wrong estimation of the number of fake tickets that were in circulation.
The European showpiece in Paris was twice delayed due to what UEFA initially described as "security reasons" outside the Stade de France due to crowd congestion.
Real Madrid went on to lift the trophy by defeating Liverpool 1-0 after the match started 36 minutes late at 21:36 local time, but it was events outside the ground that dominated the headlines.
Liverpool fans had complained of heavy-handed policing outside the stadium, with video footage showing tear gas being used on supporters.
UEFA blamed ticketless fans trying to force entry and fake tickets, but Liverpool demanded an investigation and European football's governing body apologised to spectators and opened an inquiry.
The UK's culture secretary Nadine Dorries suggested fans had been "treated like animals" at the match, contrary to the suggestions by French ministers that had pinned the blame on supporters.
Lallement, speaking at the French Senate on Thursday, admitted to making mistakes and acknowledged the overuse of tear gas was not necessary.
"It is obviously a failure. It was a failure because people were pushed around and attacked. It was a failure because the image of the country was undermined," he said.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also said that much of the blame lay with Liverpool fans and that 30,000 to 40,000 arrived without valid tickets.
Darmanin's claims were met with widespread backlash, with Reds' supporters group Spirit of Shankly questioning the "incompetence" of the organisation around the final.
Lallement has acknowledged that the basis for the ticket estimation was unfounded.
"The figure has no scientific virtue but it came from feedback from police and public transport officials," Lallement added. "Maybe I was wrong, but it was constructed from all the information harvested.
"Whether there are 30,000 or 40,000 people, it doesn't change anything. What matters is that there were people, in large numbers, likely to disrupt the proper organisation of the filtering.
"But that we count them precisely to within 5000, it doesn't change much."
Richarlison has reportedly informed Everton of his desire to leave the club, naming a top side from each of England, Spain and France as his preferred landing spots.
The Brazil striker arrived from Watford in 2018 and, after scoring 10 Premier League goals this campaign, he has now scored at least 10 league goals in three of the past four seasons.
He closed this term with six goals in his last nine appearances, helping Everton avoid relegation, but he now has his sights set on Champions League football.
TOP STORY – RICHARLISON DESIRES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MOVE
The 25-year-old has reportedly narrowed his list down to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and he is expected to command a fee of around £65million.
Also mentioned in The Sun's report is Everton majority owner Farhad Moshiri's plan to balance the books after recording losses significant enough to jeopardise the club's financial fair play status, which will likely see both Richarlison and fellow striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin leave Goodison Park for more than a combined £100m.
Once considered a front-runner to land the star forward, Arsenal are no longer said to be in play after finishing fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification.
ROUND-UP
– The Mirror claims in-demand Benfica striker Darwin Nunez is hesitant to join Manchester United due to his desire for Champions League football, while the Daily Star insists Liverpool are now his preferred English club.
– According to RMC Sport, United and Chelsea will compete for Leicester City's 21-year-old defender Wesley Fofana.
– La Repubblica is reporting that Chelsea are not against allowing Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter, but they want either Lautaro Martinez or Alessandro Bastoni in return.
– West Ham are open to the idea of selling Said Benrahma, with hopes of bringing Jesse Lingard to the club after a successful loan stint in 2020-21, according to The Sun.
– The Times is reporting Manchester City have offered Gabriel Jesus to Tottenham, after strong interest was shown by Arsenal.
The seemingly never-ending 2021-22 season may be ongoing, with a number of big international fixtures still to be played this month, but plenty of focus is already on the next campaign.
This month's conclusion will mark the end of an era for many players as their contracts come to an end – though for some it will provide a much-needed opportunity to begin a new chapter elsewhere.
For others, becoming a free agent simply provides more bargaining power when negotiating fresh terms with their current employers, at a time when most clubs cannot spend as frivolously on new players as they once could.
While some big-name freebies have already moved clubs, and others are reported to have signed pre-contract agreements elsewhere – such as Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen at Barcelona – others remain on the market.
Here, Stats Perform picks out some of those who are on the lookout for a new club.
Player: Paul Pogba
Current club: Manchester United
Rumoured suitors: Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain
United last week announced the departures of six players, with Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Pogba among them. While the first three of those will undoubtedly be of interest to teams across the continent, Pogba is arguably the most in-demand free agent around.
Juventus reportedly lead the way for the France international, who won eight trophies in four seasons with the Serie A giants prior to rejoining United in 2016. Whichever side of the divide you stand – that Pogba has too often been used out of position or is just simply not good enough – there is no denying his second spell at Old Trafford has not gone to plan.
Still, with 67 goals and assists in the Premier League since the start of 2016-17, United are waving goodbye to a player who has been involved in 17.5 per cent of their goals across that period – only Marcus Rashford (21.9 per cent) has directly contributed to more.
Player: Gareth Bale
Current club: Real Madrid
Rumoured suitors: Cardiff City, Getafe, MLS clubs
As the winner of 16 trophies across nine seasons at Madrid – one of those spent on loan at Tottenham – and still aged just 32, you would imagine Bale would have the pick of the world's top clubs to choose from in the upcoming transfer window.
But that is not quite the case, with hometown club Cardiff City and Madrid-based Getafe now considered the two favourites to land the Wales international. That does come with a caveat of sorts, though, as Bale's main focus is on entering November's World Cup with Wales in peak fitness, rather than adding to his trophy collection.
The forward has had a number of injury setbacks in recent years but, wherever he plies his trade next season, he will want to play more football than he did in 2021-22 when available. He featured in just seven of Madrid's 56 matches, totalling 290 minutes on the field, and started only four of those – seven per cent of all minutes Madrid played.
Player: Ousmane Dembele
Current club: Barcelona
Rumoured suitors: Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool
Barcelona were eager to get Dembele off their books in January, so much so that director of football Mateu Alemany publicly told the France international to find a new club "immediately". Five months on, after a strong second half to the 2021-22 season, Barca would like nothing more than to retain Dembele's services.
The former Borussia Dortmund attacker assisted 11 LaLiga goals between the start of 2022 and the end of the season, a tally that no other player across Europe's top five leagues could match, with Lionel Messi next best on 10 with PSG in Ligue 1.
Re-signing Messi has been touted, but that seems fanciful a year on from his emotional exit, so Barca may well focus on tying Dembele down to a new deal before PSG – who also have another ex-Barcelona favourite in Neymar on their books – add to a star-studded frontline.
Player: Paulo Dybala
Current club: Juventus
Rumoured suitors: Arsenal, Tottenham, Barcelona
Juventus are coming off the back of their first trophyless season in a decade, and with it comes the end of an era in many ways as Giorgio Chiellini is departing after 18 years in Turin, while Federico Bernardeschi is also on his way out and seemingly set for Napoli.
However, the name on everyone's lips right now is Dybala's, even if the Argentina international has not fully lived up to the admittedly huge hype following his arrival at Juve from Palermo in a €40million transfer seven years ago.
Dybala can still be pleased enough with his goalscoring return at the Allianz Stadium, having netted 115 goals in 293 appearances in all competitions, making him the club's third-highest foreign goalscorer of all time behind David Trezeguet (171) and John Hansen (124).
Player: Angel Di Maria
Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
Rumoured suitors: Juventus, Barcelona
Di Maria signed off from PSG in the near-perfect manner with a goal and an assist in his final game for the club against Metz last month, though his importance clearly diminished following the arrival of Messi as he started just 19 Ligue 1 games last term, down from 23 in the two previous campaigns.
That performance against Metz, albeit in a dead-rubber, highlighted Di Maria's quality when used and it is perhaps little surprise that some big-name clubs are interested. A move to Juventus seemed a certainty not so long ago, but Barcelona are supposedly now the frontrunners for the 34-year-old.
Di Maria is not the only South American attacker available to sign on a free next month, either, as the aforementioned Cavani and Uruguay international team-mate Luis Suarez are also on the lookout for a new club following their exits from United and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Gareth Bale can still "definitely do a job in the Premier League", according to his former Wales team-mate Joe Ledley.
Bale will officially become a free agent at the end of this month when his contract at Real Madrid, where he has spent the past nine seasons, expires.
The 32-year-old is on the lookout for a new club to maintain his fitness after inspiring Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years with victory over Ukraine on Sunday.
That ended any talk of an early retirement, with a number of clubs being credited with an interest in Bale, including hometown team Cardiff City, Getafe and sides in Major League Soccer.
Ledley, who played with Bale for Wales until 2018, believes English top-flight clubs should be eyeing up a move for him, one year on from his loan spell with Tottenham.
Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform, Ledley said: "I'd love obviously to see him back home in Cardiff, but the Championship is way too much; that's too many games.
"You're playing Saturday, Tuesday. The only benefit would be to have the Welsh medical team on his doorstep which is for me one of the best medical teams around - and that would benefit him.
"But the World Cup is not far away. I don't think he'll be missing many games wherever he signed.
"He can definitely do a job in the Premier League, without a shadow of a doubt.
"We'll see what happens but I'm sure after these few games [for Wales] he will have a rest for a month or two and decide his future."
Bale won 16 trophies during his time with Madrid, but he barely played in the 2021-22 campaign, which ended with Los Blancos winning a LaLiga and Champions League double.
He featured in seven of Madrid's 56 matches in all competitions – 13 per cent – with just four of those being starts.
Ledley thinks Bale was harshly treated by the Spanish giants, yet believes the club and their supporters are already starting to appreciate what he achieved during his time there.
"I thought they were very harsh on him considering what he achieved," he added.
"Then you look at how grateful they were to him near the end of his last appearance at the Bernabeu [when he was applauded by supporters]. They appreciate what he's done and sometimes this happens in football.
"Once they've gone you appreciate them more, but during his time I thought they were very harsh considering some of the other signings and other players that they've had.
"They got away with a little bit more than Gareth did considering what he's achieved there.
"But that's football and people say maybe he didn't help yourself and stuff like that, but, for me, he's one of the most dedicated footballers and professionals. He's never been in the papers for the wrong things."
There had been speculation Bale could retire if Wales did not qualify for Qatar 2022, but Ledley hopes the Dragons' success means he keeps going for a while yet.
"I'm sure he's dedicated to trying to play for Wales as long as possible," he said.
"The one thing you miss is playing for your national team because we've got that sort of unique camp where everyone just loves meeting up for Wales and I think he would miss that.
"I'm just grateful he's still got another year hopefully inside him and he hasn't decided to retire because football is better with him."
Getafe president Angel Torres has claimed that the LaLiga side have been offered the chance to sign Gareth Bale following the forward's Real Madrid departure.
Bale will officially become a free agent at the end of this month when his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he has spent the past eight seasons, officially expires.
The 32-year-old is on the lookout for a new club to maintain his fitness after inspiring Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years with victory over Ukraine on Sunday.
That ended any talk of an early retirement, with a number of clubs being credited with an interest in Bale, including hometown team Cardiff City and sides in Major League Soccer.
However, Bale may yet remain in the Spanish capital with LaLiga club Getafe, who finished 15th in 2021-22.
Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Getafe president Torres told reporters: "I spoke with the representatives of Gareth Bale about 45 minutes ago.
"They have offered him to us. But we will have to study it with our technical staff and also the sports management team."
Bale won 16 trophies during his time with Madrid, but he barely played in the 2021-22 campaign, which ended with Los Blancos winning a LaLiga and Champions League double.
He featured in seven of Madrid's 56 matches in all competitions – 13 per cent – with just four of those being starts.
Confirming his departure from Madrid last week, Bale tweeted: "I arrived here nine years ago as a young man who wanted to realise my dream of playing for Real Madrid.
"To wear the pristine white kit, to wear the crest on my chest, to play at the Bernabeu, to win titles and to be part of what it's so famous for, to win the Champions League.
"I can now look back, reflect and say with honesty that this dream became a reality and much, much more.
"To be a part of this club's history and to achieve what we achieved while I was a Real Madrid player, has been an incredible experience and one I will never forget.
"I also want to thank president Florentino Perez, Jose Angel Sanchez and the board for giving me the opportunity to play for this club.
"Together we were able to create some moments that will live forever in the history of this club and football. It has been an honour."
Luka Modric has agreed to extend his trophy-laden Real Madrid stay to over a decade by signing a one-year contract extension.
The European and LaLiga champions on Wednesday confirmed that Modric will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu for another season.
Modric joined Los Blancos from Tottenham in August 2012 and has made over 400 appearances for the club.
The 36-year-old midfielder pulled the strings as Carlo Ancelotti's side completed a Champions League and LaLiga double in a glorious 2021-22 season.
Modric has won the Champions League five times, three LaLiga titles, lifted the Club World Cup on four occasions and the Copa del Rey once during his long spell in the Spanish capital.
The Croatia captain also has three European Super Cup winners' medals and has celebrated Supercopa de Espana success four times.
Modric, who won his 150th cap for his country in a 1-1 Nations League draw with France on Monday, will go in search of more honours next season after putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland are the three most valuable players in world football, according to research group CIES Football Observatory.
Mbappe comes in as the most valuable having had a stellar season with Paris Saint-Germain, with 60 goal involvements (39 goals, 21 assists) in 46 games in all competitions.
Vinicius won the LaLiga and Champions League double with Real Madrid, while Haaland is soon to make a lucrative move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City after scoring 86 goals in 89 games during his time in Germany.
Mbappe turned down a move to Madrid to sign a new three-year deal with PSG last month, and the France international and World Cup winner is valued at an estimated €205.6million (£175.7m) by the CIES.
Vinicius is second at €185.5m (£158.3m), while Haaland supposedly has a value of €152.9m (£130.4m) despite costing City just €60m (£51m) thanks to a release clause.
The rest of the top 10 includes Barcelona trio Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres, City's Phil Foden and Ruben Dias, Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Liverpool's Luis Diaz.
CIES' research is based on a range of measures such as age, value of club, level of player performance and inflation.
The CIES report states: "The statistical model to estimate the transfer values for players from teams of the five major European leagues was built from a sample of 1,790 paid transfers carried out between July 2012 and January 2020.
"The correlation between the sums paid and estimated is greater than 80 per cent. This shows that the variables taken into account explain more than four-fifths of the gaps in the level of fees paid for transfers included in the model."
Top 10 valued players in world football (according to CIES Football Observatory)
1. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) - €205.6m (£175.7m)
2. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) - €185.5m (£158.3m)
3. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - €152.9m (£130.4m)
4. Pedri (Barcelona) - €135.1m (£115.4m)
5. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) - €133.7m (£114.2m)
6. Phil Foden (Man City) - €124.0m (£105.9m)
7. Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) - €112.5m (£96.1m)
8. Luis Diaz (Liverpool) - €110.1m (£94.0m)
9. Ruben Dias (Man City) - €109.6m (£93.6m)
10. Ferran Torres (Barcelona) - €109.5m (£93.5m)
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