Out-of-contract XI: 11 players whose contracts may expire before the end of the season
The 2019-20 Premier League could genuinely be declared as null and void due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. If it isn’t, then it will be resumed and played throughout the summer months now that Euro 2020 has been suspended until next year.
But this brings with it an array of different complications - one of which relating to a number of top-flight players’ contracts.
There are 16 current Premier League players with deals set to expire on 30th June, and if the current campaign overruns beyond that date - which at this point it does look like it will - where does that leave these players and their respective clubs?
Offering extensions and new deals is the obvious way to resolve this issue, and will probably be the method implemented by a number of clubs towards their staff.
What if certain clubs were planning to offload their out-of-contract players at the end of the season, though? This is where the whole situation becomes a lot murkier, and we’ll have to await further news from the FA and Premier League regarding ways in which it can be resolved.
You can actually build a very accomplished squad made entirely from Premier League players whose contracts expire at the end of June - albeit a very attack-heavy one.
Below, BettingOdds.com takes a look at the 11 players who are all set to see their current deals expire before the season may even be completed, alongside four subs.
Jan Vertonghen - Tottenham
Jan Vertonghen’s future at Tottenham looks unclear. The Belgian defender has been a fantastic servant to the north London club throughout the previous eight years, but turns 33 next month and has shown signs of slowing down this season. Talks of Mourinho bringing in a younger alternative next season have been mooted in the press, with Real Madrid’s Eder Militao reportedly top of the Portugese coach’s wishlist.
This leaves Tottenham with a tricky predicament on their hands - do they offer Vertonghen a new deal so that he is able play out the rest of the campaign, or just cut ties with the former Ajax man? With Spurs’ issues with injuries this term considered, opting for the latter seems foolish on the face of it.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
Ryan Fraser - Bournemouth
Bournemouth wide man Ryan Fraser really burst onto the scene during the 2016-17 campaign, registering eight assists and three goals for the Cherries as the south coast outfit obtained a 9th-place finish in the Premier League - their highest ever. The ex-Aberdeen winger really came to the fore last term, however, finishing the campaign with 14 assists to his name - just one less than Eden Hazard, who finished top of the assistman’s pile with 15.
This time out, Fraser has found it difficult to replicate his previous form. The Scot has only managed to find the net once, whilst providing four assists in 28 league appearances for Bournemouth. He is still an important player at the Vitality Stadium, though, and will no doubt regain form in the near future. The Cherries will certainly offer Fraser a new deal with his current contract expiring in just three months.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
Pedro - Chelsea
Chelsea winger Pedro is set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer, but could well see his final season in English football cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. With such a plethora of young talent available in west London, the Spaniard has seen chances in the first-team limited this term, with players like Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic all preferred in Frank Lampard’s midfield.
The addition of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax this summer will bring with it even fewer opportunities for the former Barcelona man - who turns 33 in July - next season. With this in mind, we’re not expecting to see Pedro offered a new contract at the Bridge.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Released
Adam Lallana - Liverpool
Adam Lallana has been used sporadically during the previous two seasons, as Liverpool have been taken to a different level by Jurgen Klopp. The 31-year-old has been linked with a move away from Anfield for months now, with a return to his former club Southampton being talked about relentlessly in the media.
Leicester are another club thought to be interested in the Englishman’s services. Lallana still has plenty to offer in the top-flight, just not at Liverpool. Expect to see him released in the summer, perhaps even before this season can be finalised.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Released
Jeff Hendrick - Burnley
Burnley’s Jeff Hendrick is a vital cog in Sean Dyche’s well-oiled machine at Turf Moor. The Republic of Ireland midfielder is a mainstay in the Clarets’ starting-eleven, scoring and assisting twice in the Premier League this time out.
To lose a player of Hendrick’s ability would be a massive blow for Burnley, who will be taking no risks of him departing the club for free this summer. The 28-year-old revealed that talks regarding a new contract were “definitely active” prior to Christmas, suggesting that an improved deal seems imminent.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
Olivier Giroud - Chelsea
A matter of weeks ago, it looked as if Olivier Giroud’s time in west London would be over. Indeed, the Frenchman’s recent increase in game-time at Stamford Bridge due to Tammy Abraham’s injury has provided an opportunity for him to prove that he is a worthy member of Frank Lampard’s squad.
Two goals in his previous four league appearances for the Blues - his only outings since November - has shown that Giroud is still prolific enough to cut it in the Premier League. His hold-up play is better than most, while his presence in the air is arguably the best in the division - allowing his contract to expire would prove a costly move, in our opinion.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
John Lundstram - Sheffield United
Every Fantasy Football player’s dream man - Sheffield United’s John Lundstram. Despite playing in attacking-midfield all season, the 27-year-old is counted as a defender on the FPL app for reasons unbeknown to us, but we’re not complaining.
With four goals and three assists to his name, Lundstram has been the surprise package within the league’s surprise package this term. The 26-year-old is key for Sheffield United, expect to see him at Bramall Lane for years to come.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
Robbie Brady - Burnley
Despite being a key member of Burnley’s starting-eleven in recent seasons, Burnley’s Robbie Brady seems to have fallen out of favour at Turf Moor, with 20-year-old Dwight McNeil preferred on the left-flank this season. Indeed, Brady has been limited to just five league starts this term, appearing off the substitutes bench a further nine times (unused sub 10 times).
With his current deal set to expire at the end of June, at the moment it seems unlikely that the Republic of Ireland international will be offered a new contract. However, talks could begin to progress sooner rather than later given the bizarre nature of the coronavirus situation, though that still remains to be seen. You do feel that if Brady were to be offered a new deal, it’d be wrapped up by this stage of the campaign, leaving question marks around his future in Lancashire.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Released
Willian - Chelsea
Willian has been criminally underrated for a number of years. The Brazilian winger has been a terrific servant to Chelsea since arriving at the club from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, scoring a total of 59 goals for the west London club over the previous seven years and, weirdly, assisting the exact same amount.
Although now into his 30s, the South American still offers a great deal to Frank Lampard’s youthful side and provides some much needed experience in the final-third of the pitch. Willian has recently announced that he would ‘stay loyal’ to Chelsea and play beyond the expiry of his contract for free, if his current deal were not to be extended and the season does continue into July. That gesture alone could land him a new contract and we’d be all for it.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
David Silva - Manchester City
Manchester City talisman David Silva has already announced that he will be retiring from football at the end of the campaign, but the fact that his final season at the Etihad could be cut short is a bitter pill to swallow for football fans worldwide. The Spaniard has been a revelation since arriving in England from Valencia in 2010 as a wide-eyed 24-year-old.
Silva will forever be hailed as a club legend at City and indeed in the Premier League, having contributed 74 goals and 134 assists for the Sky Blues over the last decade. He will depart City at the end of the campaign, that much is certain, but the coronavirus situation does mean that after June 30th - the expiry of his current deal - the 34-year-old will not be able to play unless it is for free, on a non-contractual basis.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Retiring
Japhet Tanganga - Tottenham
Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga has only just broken into the first-team fold at Spurs, having previously risen through the ranks at the north London club’s academy. The England under-20 international has impressed during his debut season in the Premier League and looks to be a real star for the future at both club and international level.
In February there were reports that Spurs were lining up a gleaming new £15,000-a-week deal for Tanganga, so it is hugely unlikely that we’ll see him depart N17 anytime soon. One to keep an eye on, this lad.
BettingOdds.com verdict: Offered new contract
On the bench:
Jordon Ibe - Bournemouth
Nampalys Mendy - Leicester
Timothy Fosu-Mensah - Man Utd
Nathaniel Clyne - Liverpool
BettingOdds.com verdict: All released
