by MaddFM.
At the time of writing, the circus that is the January Transfer WIndow is in full flow with the wildest of daily rumours continuing to circulate despite a widespread consensus that almost every club hates both buying and selling during this window. The annual catch-22 wherein clubs who are challenging or struggling are either unwilling to sell or are held ransom in order to maximise a player fee is a mainstay of the football season, and it is becoming clear that patience and strategy always eventually prevail and clubs who are smart enough to do so usually end up in a far healthier position than those who panic-buy in mid-season.
As Football Manager enthusiasts, we have always been aware of the free agent market and the satisfaction of agreeing a pre-contract agreement as soon as the option to enter talks with a player appears in-game ahead of their current contract ending (all hail Jean-Marc Bosman). In a world where player-power has never been stronger, many clubs find themselves at the whim of their best assets and their agents, meaning the steady flow of elite quality free-agents continues each season much to our delight as we look to snap up a bargain during our latest save adventures.
Today we will look at exactly that - 10 players whose contracts are due to expire in 2024 and who at the time of writing are yet to either sign a new deal or agree a transfer elsewhere. While the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Adrian Rabiot, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are all free agents this summer as things stand, we will instead look at some more realistic and more importantly affordable & attainable options who you should immediately be taking a look at when you load up a new save in FM24.
Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham)
As free agent centre-halves go, you will do well to find a better quality defender than Tosin Adarabioyo, not only based on his FM24 profile but also in real-life where he has attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Monaco among others. Still only 26 years old with just 6 months left on his deal, Fulham fans are most certainly sweating and with Pace 14, Acceleration 14, Tackling 14 combined with 17 Jumping Reach and Player Traits of Tries Killer Balls Often, Tries to Play Way Out Of Trouble and Tries Tricks, this 6’5” Ball Playing Defender should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a bargain basement signing this summer.
Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina)
25 years old with 16 Pace, 17 Acceleration, 15 Dribbling, 14 Flair & 14 Determination - did I mention he will be available on a free? Christian Kouamé is an Ivorian international who can play comfortably on either wing or up front and in this match engine can wreak havoc with his speed and technical ability not to mention that lovely “Knocks Ball Past Opponent” player trait; a player who should be attainable for most Premier League level clubs and beyond but you may need to act quick to secure his signature for next summer.
Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo)
The GOAT. Gabigol himself. As Football Manager heritage goes, there aren’t many strikers out there who have guaranteed goals in the way that Gabriel Barbosa has done for several renditions of FM now, so much so that it’s hard to believe he is still only 27 years old at the time of writing (no surpise that he takes a place in the prestigous 5 Star Potential Hall of Fame). Attributes-wise he remains an elite forward who can provide goals at almost any level in-game - particularly that Mentals column where we see a minimum of 16 for Anticipation, Composure, Determination, Off The Ball, Vision and Leadership not to mention 15 Dribbling & First Touch along with 14 Finishing and Technique. With 7 player traits already assigned to him in-game (yes, SEVEN) - this is a forward who strikes fear into the opposition and is available on a free transfer at the end of December 2024.
Juan Miranda (Real Betis)
A former La Masia graduate and still only 23 years old - Juan Miranda was once hyped to be Barcelona and Spain’s left-back for years to come and although things haven’t gone exactly to plan in that regard, we are still looking at a top-tier full-back or wing-back with excellent technical ability combined with rock-solid defensive attributes. Though slightly on the slower side with 11 Pace and 13 Acceleration, his Set-Piece ability (16 Free-Kicks, 16 Penalties and 19 Long Throws) are second-to -none as free agents go, and he can most certainly add quality and/or depth to most top level teams in-game.
Federico Redondo (Argentinos Juniors)
A player we just can’t get away from, having spoken about him multiple times on the 5 Star Potential podcast as well as in various other FM24 articles here on the website. Son of former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Argentina legend Fernando (a CM legend in his own right) - Federico Redondo is showing signs of living up to his father’s legacy and looks sure to make a big move to Europe at some point in the very near future. Just 20 years old, he already as phenomenal all-round attributes for a versatile midfielder who can occupy almost any role in the middle of the park, and in particular his Determination & Work Rate combined with Passing & Movement set him up to be an elite midfielder in FM24; with a contract that expires in December 2024, it’s little wonder the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Man City are all rumoured to be interested in his services currently so you better move quick.
Alex Meret (Napoli)
Despite winning the Scudetto title last season, Napoli find themselves in all kinds of trouble this year with a mass exodus of their best players expected to take place between now and next season (so much so that this is one of two Napoli players to make our list today). Alex Meret has long been one of the best young goalkeepers in FM over the past few years, and continues to be an elite option between the sticks with his contract set to expire in June 2024 and still no sign of an extension being agreed. With excellent Handling and Reflexes not to mention 1v1 and Aerial command, this is a bargain pickup if you can lock in a deal before Napoli convince him to hang around a bit longer at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Gianluca Prestianni (Vélez Sarsfield)
Another whom we’ve waxed lyrical about on the pod repeatedly since he was first profiled here on site by @RocksEndFM as part of our Wonderkid Watch series, and more recently by @FridayNightFM after he signed him in his FM24 save at Famalicão. 17-year-old Gianluca Prestianni, who has been making plenty of headlines since establishing himself in the Velez first-team so much so that he has been heavily linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool although it looks like Benfica may have eventually won the race for his signature. That said, in FM24 we see a highly talented wonderkid with a contract expiring in December 2024, and his all round attributes and excellent technical ability for his age make him a very exciting target especially if you can lock him in on a free transfer once he reaches the end of his deal. ONE TO WATCH.
Yusuf Yazici (Lille)
What is it with Turkish #10s? Arda Güler, Can Uzun, Kenan Yildiz, Orkun Kökçü - this nation is literally stacked with talent in midfield and it doesn’t end there. A key component of Lille’s title winning side in 2021 - Yusuf Yazici is a highly talented attacking midfielder who jumped to fame when he scored back-to-back hat-tricks in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League against Sparta Prague and AC Milan respectively. In FM24 we see a wizard on the ball, a gifted technician with 18 First Touch, 16 Dribbling, 16 Technique, 16 Flair and 16 Vision meaning he has the ability to unlock a defence and provide line-splitting passes and through-balls. Though not the fastest, he is a #10 through which a lot of your build up play can flow, and not only is his contract up in June 2024, he should also be quite affordable from a wages perspective 👌.
Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)
We might as well add an already-elite player to this list and that comes in the form of Piotr Zielnski, the second Napoli player on our list today. While he has been around for years and always been highly rated from an FM perspective, he is still only 29 years old and can pull the strings of almost any midfield out there - with over 450 senior club appearances, 65 goals and 55 assists not to mention 82 caps and 10 goals for Poland - this is a world-class midfielder whose pedigree and quality are unquestionable, clearly evident through his importance in Napoli’s Serie A title winning campaign last season during which he featured 37 times racking up 3 goals and 9 assists. Highly versatile with outstanding Passing, Technique, First Touch and Vision as well as clearly knowing where the goal is based on his Finishing and Long Shots attributes, picking Zielinski up on a free almost seems criminal, yet at the time of writing he has less than 6 months remaining and therefore has to be one for your shortlist in FM24.
Valentín Gómez (Vélez Sarsfield)
Our final entry takes us back to Vélez once more. While FM24 has seen wonderkid Valentín Barco grab all the headlines, most recently following his high-profile move from Boca Juniors to Brighton during the January Transfer Window, there is another left-sided Argentine defender (also named Valentín) who is deserving of your attention this year in the form of Valentín Gómez, a 20-year-old Centre-Back who has established himself as a first-team regular but who also is yet to renew his contract having been repeatedly linked with a move to Europe over the past 18 months. With Left-Footed Central Defenders being something of a commodity in modern-day football, Gómez ticks a lot of boxes in terms of his defensive and technical ability - good on the ball, strong in the tackle with an eye for a pass and a glorious mix of high bravery & aggression combined with the “winds up opponents” player trait. Again, we are looking at a very affordable defensive option with huge potential to grow and develop in one of Europe’s Top 5 leagues - by December 2024, he could be yours for absolutely nothing 🔥.
There we have it - 10 players whose contracts will expire in 2024 and at the time of writing have not yet extended their deals or agreed moves elsewhere just yet (though Prestianni to Benfica looks set to be confirmed on his 18th birthday). Shout-outs also to the likes of Daichi Kamada (Lazio), Luke Thomas (Leicester), Tiago Djalo (Lille though looks to be Juventus bound) and @FMDoop’s old favourite Gaetano Castrovilli who are all also entering the last 6 months of their current deals; one thing is for sure, there are some absolute bargains to be picked up once we enter that glorious 6 month period before contracts will expire, and everyone loves a bargain right? Happy hunting 🎯.
Thanks for reading.
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