10 most valuable players to move on a free transfer this summer

FT Desk

16 Sep 2022 14:00 CDT
4 min read

Nearly €4.5 billion was spent by European clubs on players in the summer transfer window, but some world class operators didn't cost a penny. Football Transfers looks at the 10 most valuable…

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From Antonio Rudiger moving to Real Madrid to Paul Pogba returning to Juventus, millions of Euros worth of talent was available for next to nothing this summer.

Agent fees and significant salaries may have come into the equation for destination clubs, but they could spend more on both given no up-front fee was involved.

Using Football Transfers' sophisticated inhouse algorithm, we look at the 10 most valuable players to make a move for free…

1) Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea to Real Madrid) - €50.6m

A European and world champion with Chelsea, Germany international Antonio Rudiger was in high demand with his contract at Stamford Bridge running down.

With Chelsea in turmoil toward the end of Roman Abramovich's ownership of the club, Real Madrid sensed an opportunity, and signed the 29-year-old to a four-year deal.

"Yes, I heard the abuse," Rudiger later reflected in the Players' Tribune. "But I also felt the love. At the end of the day, the light was stronger than the darkness. For that, I will always be Chelsea."

Welcome to Real Madrid training with Antonio Rudiger 😱pic.twitter.com/xrlaVP2a5u
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 28, 2022

2) Boubacar Kamara (Marseille to Aston Villa) - €47.6m

Slightly less experienced than Rudiger but also significantly younger, Boubacar Kamara was a fantastic steal for Aston Villa.

The 22-year-old had anchored Marseille's midfield with aplomb across the last four seasons, sometimes deputising in central defence, and Villa reportedly beat Manchester United in the race for the player's signature, with Steven Gerrard's presence at Villa Park playing a significant role.

3) Andreas Christensen (Chelsea to Barcelona) - €42.3

Poor Chelsea. Only one of their favoured back three from last season - Thiago Silva - is still at the club, with Andreas Christensen joining Rudiger in leaving for Spain on a free, in his case the opposite side of the Clasico divide with Barcelona.

"I grew up watching Barcelona and Ronaldinho and Deco were my favourite players," he said in rather more bitter words for Blues fans. "I'm so happy and I was waiting for a long time for this day to arrive."

It's official: Andreas Christensen is a Barcelona player!pic.twitter.com/2gafl8Q6VL
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 7, 2022

4) Franck Kessie (AC Milan to Barcelona) - €41.6

Barcelona dropped more than €150 million on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde this summer, but Christensen wasn't the only player they picked up on a free, with midfielder Franck Kessie arriving from AC Milan.

A powerful central midfielder, the Ivorian faces fierce competition in midfield, with Pedri and Gavi both recently signing new contracts with €1 billion release clauses, and Frenkie de Jong not leaving for Manchester United after all.

5) Randal Kolo Muani (Nantes to Eintracht Frankfurt) - €40.7m

Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the Europea League last season but instead of splashing their new-found cash, they were shrewd in the summer market, picking up one of Europe's most promising attackers in Randal Kolo Muani.

Still just 22, Kolo Muani is able to occupy a number of positions in the final third, and his next step will be to break into the full France team having won under-21 and Olympic caps so far.