In the heavily-inflated transfer market, there is nothing like signing a high-value player for free. A free transfer is a win-win for both the player and the purchasing club. Not only does it save the club millions in transfer fees, but it also allows the player to secure a contract higher than his market worth.
Of course, snagging high-value free agents is easier said than done, which is why only a handful of those go through each transfer window. The 2024-25 summer transfer window, was massive in that respect, as many top players switched camps as free agents.
Real Madrid led the raid by hooking one of the best players in the world, Kylian Mbappe, for free. Continue reading to check out how much the Frenchman is worth and meet the four other top players who moved on a free in the 2024-25 summer transfer window.
#5 Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea): €20 million ($22.23 million)
Premier League giants Chelsea bolstered their defense with the addition of Tosin Adarabioyo in the 2024-25 summer transfer window. The 26-year-old, who is worth €20 million ($22.23 million) as per Transfermarkt, has joined the club for free after spending his last four years at Fulham.
A fine center-back, Adarabioyo, has yet to make his debut in the Premier League but played in the UEFA Europa Conference League clashes against Servette FC. He helped the club snag a 3-2 victory over two legs. Before signing a four-year deal with Chelsea, Adarabioyo played 132 games for Fulham in all competitions, scoring five times and providing two assists.
#4 Guido Rodriguez (West Ham United): €20 million ($22.23 million)
Argentine defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez moved to West Ham United as a free agent at the start of August, after parting ways with La Liga side Real Betis. The €20 million ($22.23 million) midfielder spent the previous four seasons at Betis. He played 173 games for the club in all competitions, scoring nine times and providing four assists. Rodriguez won the Copa del Rey during his time in Spain.
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui sees Rodriguez as an important member of the team and has started him in all three of the Premier League games so far. The 30-year-old has yet to score or assist for the hammers.
#3 Sergino Dest (PSV Eindhoven): €22 million ($24.46 million)
In July 2024, Sergino Dest ended his nightmare stint at Barcelona and moved to PSV Eindhoven as a free agent, signing a four-year deal with the Dutch side. After Hansi Flick informed the club that Dest would not get enough minutes at Barca, the club decided to lighten the wage bill and dissolved the United States Men’s National Team international’s contract, allowing him to move for free. The Blaugrana, however, will get a cut if PSV sells Dest for a profit down the line.
Dest, who is worth €22 million ($24.46 million), spent the 2023-24 season on loan at PSV, scoring twice and providing six assists in 25 appearances in the Eredivisie. The 23-year-old played just 72 matches for Barca since joining from Ajax in July 2020, recording three goals and four assists.
#2 Piotr Zielinski (Inter Milan): €22 million ($24.46 million)
Versatile midfielder Piotr Zielinski moved from Napoli to Serie A rivals Inter Milan as a free agent at the start of the 2024-25 summer transfer window. The 30-year-old, who is valued at €22 million ($24.46 million), spent the last eight seasons at Napoli. Assuming multiple roles in midfield, the Poland international played 364 games for the Partenopei in all competitions, scoring 51 times and providing 46 assists. He was one of Napoli’s best players as they won the Serie A title in the 2022-23 season.
Zielinski has signed a four-year contract with reigning Italian champions Inter. Unfortunately, he has yet to make his debut, with him missing the first three Serie A matches of the season due to muscular issues and fitness concerns.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid): €180 million ($200.11 million)
A move years in the making, Kylian Mbappe finally fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming a Real Madrid player earlier this summer. Despite being under pressure, the Frenchman decided against renewing his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and joined Los Blancos as a free agent. Currently worth a staggering €180 million ($200.11 million), one of the four most valuable players — Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland being the other three —, Mbappe, has signed a five-year contract with the 15-time European champions. According to Diario AS, Mbappe is earning around €15 million ($16.68 million) net per season in the Spanish capital.
Mbappe enjoyed a staggering spell at PSG between 2017 and 2024, scoring a club-record 256 goals and providing 108 assists in 308 games in all competitions. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner won 15 trophies with Les Parisiens, including six Ligue 1 titles.
Mbappe enjoyed a blistering start to life at Real Madrid, scoring a fine goal as they beat Atalanta 2-0 in the UEFA Super Cup. He had a relatively slow start in La Liga, failing to score in the first three games. The 25-year-old finally came good on Matchday 4, scoring both goals as Real Madrid beat Real Betis 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
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