Free agents in 2024: Top football players eligible to sign pre-contract agreement in January for free transfer

As the winter transfer window nears, European clubs begin to think not only about what they might need personnel-wise this year, but also take a peek at the coming campaign.

While the conclusion of the 2023/24 season is still over six months adrift, various players across the biggest leagues in Europe are eyeing the end of their current contract with their clubs.

For those players in the final months of their current deal, they are eligible to sign pre-contract agreements with certain other clubs in January, tying them down to a new destination for the coming season. That means we could see something of a scramble for some big names from January 1.

The Sporting News looks at the best players in Europe who are on contracts that expire in the coming summer, who could either be cheap transfer targets in January or possible candidates for free transfers after the 2023/24 season ends.

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Below are 10 of the biggest names who could sign pre-contract terms with a new club from January 2024 onwards. There is a caveat: players can only sign such deals with teams from a different league to that in which their current team plays. For example, a Premier League player at Manchester United could not sign a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal.

Possible destinations: Juventus, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham

Versatile 28-year-old defender Mario Hermoso has been a major part of Atletico Madrid's success this season. Able to operate in the middle of Diego Simeone's back line or out on the left, he provides quality in a variety of aspects.

He has been with the club since joining in 2019 as Espanyol's record sale, but if Atleti don't tie him down long-term, he could find a new