Players who left on free transfers

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to sign for Real Madrid in the summer on a free transfer.

The Liverpool right-back is out of contract at the end of the season and recent reports claim he has decided to join England team-mate Jude Bellingham at the Santiago Bernabéu.

That news has upset Liverpool fans, who were hopeful that one of their homegrown heroes would spend his whole career with the Anfield club.

But since the Bosman ruling changed football transfers back in 1995, a series of top players have moved for free. Here, a look at some of the most high-profile examples…

Steve McManaman (Liverpool to Real Madrid)

Steve McManaman on the ball for Real Madrid against Manchester United in the Champions League in April 2000. (Image credit: Getty Images)One man who has already left Liverpool for Real Madrid on a free transfer is Steve McManaman.

The former England midfielder signed a pre-contract with Los Blancos during the 1998/99 season and signed for the Spanish side at the end of the campaign. He went on to win two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues with Real, scoring in the 2000 final against Valencia and making over 150 appearances in total for the club. McManaman was released by Madrid in 2003 and returned to the Premier League on another free transfer with Manchester City that summer.

Goran Pandev (Lazio to Inter)

Goran Pandev in action for Inter against Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final. (Image credit: Getty Images)Goran Pandev helped Lazio win the Coppa Italia in 2009 but was frozen out of the squad at the start of the following season after a contract dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.

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Pandev had stated his desire to leave in the summer and was excluded from the squad, training alone for several months before the Lega Nazionale Professionisti ruled in his favour. Lazio were ordered to release the forward from his contract and he signed for Inter on a free transfer in January, going on to feature prominently as the Nerazzurri won the treble under José Mourinho that season.

Roberto Baggio (AC Milan to Bologna)

Roberto Baggio celebrates a goal for Bologna against Napoli in November 1997. (Image credit: Getty Images)After Fabio Capello’s return to AC Milan in 1997, Roberto Baggio was deemed surplus to requirements at San Siro and was allowed to leave for free in the summer.

Baggio wanted a move to Parma, but coach Carlo Ancelotti turned down the move, believing the attacking midfielder would not suit his tactical plans. So the former Fiorentina and Juventus favourite joined Bologna instead, rebuilding his reputation in a spectacular season which yielded 22 goals in Serie A and earned him a move to boyhood club Inter after the 1998 World Cup.

Raúl (Real Madrid to Schalke)

Raul celebrates after scoring for Schalke against Werder Bremen in November 2010. (Image credit: Getty Images)After 16 seasons, 741 appearances, 323 goals, three Champions League crowns and six La Liga titles at Real Madrid, Raúl drew a line under his career with Los Blancos and left on a free transfer in the summer of 2010.

The former Spain striker signed for Schalke and spent two seasons with the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 40 goals in 98 appearances overall. He helped Schalke win the DFB-Pokal in 2011, scoring the winner against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

James Milner (Manchester City to Liverpool)

James Milner celebrates with the Champions League trophy after Liverpool’s win over Tottenham in the 2019 final. (Image credit: Getty Images)James Milner was approaching 30 years old when he left Manchester City for Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2015.

A two-time Premier League winner with the Sky Blues, the former England midfielder helped the Reds to a first league title in 30 years and won seven trophies in total – including the Champions League – in eight seasons at Anfield under Jürgen Klopp.

Esteban Cambiasso (Real Madrid to Inter)

Esteban Cambiasso celebrates a goal for Inter against Roma in October 2004. (Image credit: Getty Images)Esteban Cambiasso joined Real Madrid as a youth player and returned to the Spanish side after spells in his native Argentina with Independiente and River Plate.

The defensive midfielder spent two seasons with Madrid’s first team, but left for free in 2004 after failing to command a starting spot. He fared much better after moving to Inter, winning five Serie A titles in his 10 seasons in Milan, the last of which was part of a treble triumph in 2009/10.

Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester United)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring for Manchester United against Southampton in the League Cup final in February 2017. (Image credit: Getty Images)After scoring 156 goals in 180 games and helping Paris Saint-Germain win four Ligue 1 titles in a row during his time at the Parc des Princes, Zlatan Ibrahimović opted to leave the French champions in the summer of 2016.

The former Sweden striker signed for Manchester United and scored 28 goals in 46 appearances as the Red Devils won the League Cup and the Europa League under José Mourinho in 2016/17. But his progress was cut short by a serious knee injury against Anderlecht in April and he played just seven times in 2017/18, scoring once, before moving to LA Galaxy in March.

Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan to Juventus)

Andrea Pirlo in action for Juventus against Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final. (Image credit: Getty Images)Andrea Pirlo spent a decade at AC Milan and won an array of trophies with the Rossoneri, including two Serie A titles and two Champions League crowns.

After leaving for free at the end of the 2010/11 season, the former Italy midfielder signed for Juventus and went on to win four more Serie A titles with the Bianconeri. He also helped Juve to the Champions League final in 2015, before moving to New York City FC later that year.

Juninho Pernambucano (Vasco da Gama to Lyon)

Juninho celebrates after winning the Ligue 1 title with Lyon in May 2006. (Image credit: Getty Images)Juninho Pernambucano joined Lyon from Vasco da Gama on a free transfer in the summer of 2001 and went on to star in seven Ligue 1 title wins for the French club.

One of the greatest free-kick takers of all time, the former Brazil midfielder scored 100 goals in 344 official games for Lyon.

Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich to Chelsea)

Michael Ballack in action for Chelsea against Liverpool in the Champions League in April 2008. (Image credit: Getty Images)Linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United, Michael Ballack left Bayern Munich on a free transfer to sign for Chelsea in the summer of 2006.

The former Germany midfielder made over 150 appearances for the Blues, winning a Premier League title and three FA Cups. He was also a Champions League runner-up in 2008.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United to Juventus)

Paul Pogba salutes the Juventus fans after a game against Chievo Verona in September 2012. (Image credit: Getty Images)After a lack of opportunities at Manchester United, Paul Pogba left for free in the summer of 2012 and signed for Juventus.

The former France midfielder spent four seasons in Turin, winning four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and reaching a Champions League final in 2015. He returned to United in an £89 million (€105m) deal in 2016, later going back to Juve for free once again in 2022. Injuries and a doping ban restricted the midfielder to just 12 appearances in his second spell, however.

Cafú (Roma to AC Milan)

Cafu in action for AC Milan against Siena in April 2004. (Image credit: Getty Images)One of the best right-backs in football history, Cafú left Roma for AC Milan on a free transfer in 2003 after six seasons at the Stadio Olimpico.

The former Brazil captain won a Serie A title at Roma and went on to claim another Scudetto with Milan, plus a Champions League title in 2007. He retired from football at the end of the following season.

Luis Enrique (Real Madrid to Barcelona)

Luis Enrique (right) in action for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in October 2001. (Image credit: Getty Images)One of the most talented Spanish footballers of his generation, Luis Enrique joined Real Madrid from hometown club Sporting Gijón in 1991 and spent five seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Unable to reach an agreement over a new deal following a difficult 1995/96 season with Madrid, the midfielder left at the end of his contract and signed for Barcelona in the summer of 1996. He spent eight seasons at Camp Nou and scored over 100 goals for the Catalan club.

Sol Campbell (Tottenham to Arsenal)

Sol Campbell in action for Arsenal against Barnet in pre-season in August 2001. (Image credit: Getty Images)In one of the most acrimonious transfers in football history, Sol Campbell ran down his contract at Tottenham and signed for north London rivals Arsenal in the summer of 2001.

Campbell was Spurs captain at the time and had told fans he was staying, but moved to the Gunners in a controversial transfer. The centre-back was successful at Arsenal, though, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He also reached a Champions League final, scoring the Gunners’ goal in a 2-1 loss to Barcelona.

Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich)

Robert Lewandowski in action for Bayern Munich against former club Borussia Dortmund in August 2014. (Image credit: Getty Images)Robert Lewandowski spent four seasons at Borussia Dortmund and scored over 100 goals for BVB, winning two Bundesliga titles in his time at the Westfalenstadion.

The Polish striker signed a pre-contract with rivals Bayern Munich in November 2013 and moved to the Bavarian giants for free the next summer. Lewandowski went on to score 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern, winning eight Bundesliga titles and a treble in 2019/20. He moved to Barcelona for a fee of €45 million in the summer of 2022.

Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid)

Kylian Mbappe salutes the fans on his presentation as a Real Madrid player in July 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)Two years after changing his mind at the last minute on a move to Real Madrid and signing a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé did finally sign for the Spanish side in the summer of 2024.

Mbappé moved to Madrid on a free transfer and was presented in front of more than 80,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabéu in July. The France forward signed a five-year deal with Los Blancos.