With the January transfer window now shut, attention is now already turning to the summer window, and some clubs are still nervously sweating on the futures of some of their stars.
That comes with a slew of Premier League stars set to see their current contracts expire at the end of the current campaign, with 19 of the 20 clubs set to lose at least one player as a free agent as things stand and some clubs losing as many as eight members of their first-team squad.
Though there is still time for that to change in the months ahead, a massive 78 players across the top flight are set to walk away for absolutely nothing in June 2025 as it stands. Below, we’ve broken down each club’s current situation.
Arsenal 3 players
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are set to lose three players at the end of the season unless they take action in the coming months.
Kieran Tierney is set to finally end his torrid spell in north London, and has even reportedly agreed a return to Celtic, while Italian midfielder Jorginho is also out of contract and has been linked with a move to Flamengo when his deal expires.
Of their strongest first XI, they could also be waving goodbye to Thomas Partey as things stand, with the Ghanaian’s deal also coming to an end, though there is still time to change that.
Player
Age at expiry
Position
At club since
Kieran Tierney
28
Defender
August 2019
Jorginho
33
Midfielder
January 2023
Thomas Partey
32
Midfielder
October 2020
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2 ByRoss Kilvington Aston Villa 2 players
Aston Villa are in a slightly healthier position than Arsenal, with only two players set to depart for nothing at the end of the current campaign.
Defender Kortney Hause and goalkeeper Robin Olsen are the two in question, with Hause having failed to make an appearance in any competition under Unai Emery this season, while Olsen has only managed two, suggesting that neither will be missed too much at Villa Park.
Bournemouth 0 players
Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are the only side across the entire top flight without players set to be out of contract this summer, though they will lose Kepa Arrizabalaga as he returns to Chelsea from his loan spell at the Vitality Stadium.
The south-coast outfit are still likely to be busy in the summer, though, with their impressive form having caught the eye of plenty of clubs, with the likes of Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Antoine Semenyo all being linked with Europe’s elite in recent months, leaving the Cherries with a headache of a different nature as they juggle their own ambitions with potential significant windfalls.
Brentford 3 players
Thomas Frank set to lose two of his Brentford veterans as things stand. 35-year-old centre-back Ben Mee is out of contract at the end of the season, but has been largely phased out of the squad this term, making just six appearances in the top flight.
The same cannot be said for Christian Norgaard, who has been a key man for the Bees this season, but whose deal expires this summer. Though there is thought to be an option for a further year included, it has not yet been activated, and as it stands, the Dane will be seeking a new challenge away from the Gtech.
Also set to be a free agent is Josh Dasilva, who has not featured this season after undergoing knee surgery, and whose deal also includes the option of a further year yet to be exercised.
Brighton & Hove Albion 4 players
Tariq Lamptey leads four players set to depart Brighton this summer for nothing, with the young defender having struggled for game time under Fabian Hurzeler and his time on the south coast having been plagued by injury.
Also set to leave, and perhaps retire, is 39-year-old midfielder James Milner, who has struggled with a thigh injury all season and whose short-term deal will expire at the end of the season. Goalkeeper Tom McGill, who spent the first half of the campaign at MK Dons, is also set to become a free agent.
More concerningly for the Seagulls is that Joel Veltman’s contract is also up, with the Dutchman having been a key figure at full-back in recent seasons and making 18 appearances already this campaign. He is one that they will certainly need to renew or replace adequately.
Chelsea 1 player
Given Chelsea’s recent habit of offering extremely long contracts for most players they sign, it is probably little surprise to know that only Lucas Bergstrom is set to leave for nothing at the end of the current campaign.
The 22-year-old shot-stopper has spent this season at Stamford Bridge, but is well down the pecking order, and with both Mike Penders and Djordje Petrovic set to arrive back in west London, his future is clearly away from the Blues.
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1 ByBarney Lane Crystal Palace 6 players
It is going to be a busy summer at Selhurst Park. While all the focus has been on Marc Guehi, whose contract expires in 2026, Crystal Palace are set to lose six players for nothing this summer.
There remains uncertainty over Tyrick Mitchell, with some suggestions that he has already penned a new contract beyond 2025, but they are certainly on course to lose Will Hughes, who has been a key man for Oliver Glasner amid injuries to his first-choice midfielders.
Meanwhile, long-standing servants Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward are both set to leave, with the pair having seen their roles reduced significantly this season.
Elsewhere, veteran goalkeeper Remi Matthews will see his deal expire, and talented 20-year-old winger Franco Umeh-Chibueze is also set to become a free agent.
Everton 8 players
As if Everton didn’t have enough on their plate with financial struggles and the move to a new stadium, they are also set to lose the joint-most players out of any Premier League outfit this summer.
Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads a gaggle of first-team stars set to leave for nothing, a group that includes Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye and Ashley Young, while squad players Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman are both also set to miss playing in the new stadium on Merseyside unless new terms can be agreed.
Fulham 6 players
Willian’s return to Fulham on a short-term contract means that he will again depart Craven Cottage at the end of the season as things stand. He leads a lengthy list for Marco Silva’s side, in which the most concerning name to fans will be Raul Jimenez, who has found the net nine times already this season.
Carlos Vinicius is set to leave, but there will also be concern over Adama Traore, Tom Cairney and Kenny Tete, all of whom are set to follow the Brazilian and who have combined for 55 Premier League appearances this season, with their exits representing a potentially massive blow to Silva’s squad depth.
Ipswich Town 3 players
There are bigger concerns in East Anglia than free agents right now, with Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town fighting for their Premier League lives.
However, in the upheaval that will accompany any potential return to the Championship, three players are set to leave for free. That includes 2023 arrival Axel Tuanzebe, though the club hold an option to extend his contract for another year.
The same can be said for defender Cameron Burgess, but Massimo Luongo has no such clause and is set to leave barring a late turnaround, with the midfielder having managed just 170 minutes of Premier League action this season.