Sol Campbell, Messi, Ibra: The 12 best free transfers in football – ranked

In 1995, Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman won his battle in the courtroom, which led to players being able to leave their club on a free transfer as soon as their contract expired.

Before the Bosman ruling, players could not leave their current club when their contract expired unless their club agreed to let a player go for free or received a fee from a buying side.

It placed many footballers in a predicament, most notably Bosman, whose career fizzled out. A five-year legal battle ended in 1995, meaning the players had more power when coming towards the end of their careers, thus changing football forever.

Over the previous 30 years, thousands of players have left their current club at the end of their contract, signing for another without any fee being involved. Additionally, players can also sign a pre-contract agreement when they are heading into the final six months of their current deal.

Several of these free transfers stand out more so than others. As such, we have delved into the memory bank to take a closer look at what we believe are the 12 best free transfers of all time. Involving some of the finest players in the history of the game, many a club has missed out on significant transfer fees.

12

Gianluca Vialli

Juventus to Chelsea (1996)

Gianluca Vialli enjoyed a wonderful 1995/96 campaign for Juventus. Not only did he help the Old Lady win their second European Cup title, but he also scored 14 goals during the season.

Winning Serie A titles with both Sampdoria and Juventus ensured the Italian striker emerged as one of the finest players in the top flight, so it was certainly a signal of intent by Chelsea when they announced Vialli’s signing on a free transfer.

He went on to become their player-manager after the departure of Ruud Gullit, with the Italian ushering in a new era at Stamford Bridge, leading the club to the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.

11

Esteban Cambiasso

Real Madrid to Inter (2004)

Esteban Cambiasso made 67 appearances for Real Madrid between 2002 and 2004, but with the Galactico policy in full throttle, he eyed opportunities elsewhere.

As such, he joined Inter and went on to spend 10 years at the San Siro, enjoying plenty of success along the way. The Argentinian midfielder was a key member of the squad under José Mourinho as they won Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League during the 2009/10 season.

Overall, he made 431 appearances for the club – not bad for a free transfer.

10

Steve McManaman

Liverpool to Real Madrid (1999)

Having turned down the advances of Barcelona two years prior, Steve McManaman signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid in 1999, joining the club that summer.

The midfielder enjoyed success in the Spanish capital. Not only did he win La Liga twice (2001 and 2003), but he became the first Englishman to win the Champions League with a foreign club, doing so in 2000 (scoring in the final) and 2002.

After four years in Madrid, he returned to England, joining Manchester City. His success on the continent paved the way for countless others over the next few years.

9

Michael Ballack

Bayern Munich to Chelsea (2006)

Throughout his spells with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, Michael Ballack proved himself to be the finest midfielder in Germany, winning a host of honours with the latter club in particular.

Chelsea signing him for nothing was seen as a major coup, especially considering Ballack had captained Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup.

Despite winning the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time in west London, Ballack missed out on the Champions League, losing the 2008 final to Manchester United.

8

Raul

Real Madrid to Schalke (2010)

Raul is a bonafide Real Madrid legend. Making his debut in 1994, the Spaniard became the talisman of a new era at Los Blancos. Over the next 16 years, Raul would win three Champions League titles, six La Liga crowns and a handful of other trophies.

Furthermore, he scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for the club, ensuring his place as one of the best players in their history. However, all good things come to an end, and when his contract expired in 2010, Raul moved to Schalke.

19 goals in his first season proved his move was a success, especially as he helped the club win the German Cup and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. The veteran forward left in 2012 to join the New York Cosmos.

7

Zlatan Ibrahimović

PSG to Manchester United (2016)

Zlatan Ibrahimović’s playing career had taken him from Sweden to the Netherlands, before stops in Italy, Spain and France, enjoying plenty of domestic success in the process.

In the summer of 2016, ex-Inter boss José Mourinho reunited with the striker at Manchester United by signing him on a free transfer – and it proved to be a positive move.

The Swede scored 28 goals in his debut season, winning the League Cup and Europa League, suggesting the move worked out rather well. He moved to MLS in 2018, but the 2016/17 season – in which he won the League Cup and Europa League – was a wonderful one from a personal point of view, ensuring the move worked out.

6

Sol Campbell

Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal (2001)

Out of all the free transfers on this list, Sol Campbell’s decision to move across north London from Spurs to Arsenal is the most contentious.

Emerging as one of the best centre-backs in England during his spell with Spurs, it looked as though a move abroad might be the next step for him. That was until Arsène Wenger made his move.

After months of speculation, he joined the Gunners in 2001, and it proved to be the right move for him. Over the next five years, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.

Despite the acrimonious circumstances, Campbell cemented himself as one of Wenger’s most trustworthy players during that era.

5

Lionel Messi

Barcelona to PSG (2021)

At one stage, it looked as though Lionel Messi would play for Barcelona until the day he retired. In the summer of 2021, he finally left the club after they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga’s financial rules.

PSG didn’t take long to snap him up, as the Argentinian maestro sealed a two-year deal with the capital club.

During both seasons he played for PSG, they won the Ligue 1 title, with Messi scoring an impressive 32 goals while chipping in with 35 assists across 75 appearances.

Unfortunately, failure to lead the club to a historic Champions League crown suggests the move didn’t go as planned, but the former Barcelona star showed there was still life in the old dog with some wonderful performances.

4

Cafu

Roma to Milan (2003)

It was perhaps a surprise that Cafu – who had won two World Cups with Brazil – had never played for one of the biggest teams in Europe, but that changed in the summer of 2003.

After six years with Roma, winning the Serie A title in 2001, Cafu joined Milan on a free transfer, despite his advancing years.

It turned out to be one of the best free transfers in history. During five seasons with the San Siro club, the defender won another league title, reached two Champions League finals – winning in 2007 – and claimed a Coppa Italia trophy.

3

Paul Pogba

Manchester United to Juventus (2012)

Paul Pogba was earmarked as the next best thing to come out of Carrington, yet he couldn’t turn potential into consistency at first-team level for Man Utd.

Juventus swooped for him in the summer of 2012, sealing a move for the talented midfielder on a free transfer, which turned out to be a lucrative piece of business.

Pogba won four Serie A titles in a row while improving with each passing season, and it wasn’t long before Man Utd came calling to bring him back to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils paid a world-record fee of £89m for the Frenchman, ensuring Juventus made a significant profit to add to their bargain.

2

Andrea Pirlo

Milan to Juventus (2011)

Two Serie A titles, two Champions League trophies and a handful of other cups ensured Andrea Pirlo’s time with Milan was a success.

However, his contract expired in the summer of 2011, and he made the move to Juventus. It was an excellent signing. Not only did he win four successive league titles, but he helped the club reach the 2015 Champions League final, where they were defeated by Barcelona.

In terms of impact, Pirlo goes down as one of the finest free transfers of all time.

1

Robert Lewandowski

Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich (2014)

Midway through the 2013/14 season, Robert Lewandowski agreed a pre-contract deal to join Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund.

He was arguably the finest striker in the Bundesliga, and he would step up to the next level upon joining the Bavarians.

Indeed, he went on to win the league title in each of his eight seasons with the club, adding the 2019/20 Champions League title to his collection.

Overall, the Polish centre-forward netted a staggering 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern. These feats surely him the finest free transfer of all time.