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Planet Football

·26 July 2026

Planet Football

·26 July 2026

When a player moves into the final year of their contract, it forces their club to confront a major question: should they cash in while they still can?

The danger of losing a top player for nothing can unsettle even the biggest clubs. So, once a contract enters its last year, clubs must move quickly and decide whether to offer a renewal or sell before it is too late.

There are several high-profile names in that position this year, and it could spark some huge transfers. For instance, Arsenal have already begun probing the possibility of a move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. It is the sort of transfer that would be hard to picture if not for his contract situation.

We have selected an XI of players in the final year of their contracts, neatly lined up in a 4-2-4-1 formation.

The best goalkeeper in the world? Those from a Real Madrid point of view would certainly say so.

Courtois is now 34 and Madrid do not really hand out long-term deals to players of his age. Even so, he remains their first-choice goalkeeper and has been included in La Liga’s team of the season for the last two years in a row, despite the club winning nothing of real significance in either campaign.

We are fairly certain that as long as he stays at his best, Courtois will remain a Madrid player.

A newly crowned World Cup winner, even though he played only six minutes of football after the group stage, Llorente is currently enjoying some time away before his focus turns back to his future.

The midfielder-turned-right-back is now in the last year of his contract with Atletico Madrid, the club he joined from city rivals Real in 2019.

Now very much part of the furniture at the Metropolitano, Llorente said in March: “I want to retire at Atletico. I want to stay longer at the club and hope to reach an agreement for a renewal.”

Could it soon be time for another modern-day Liverpool great to move on from the club?

After Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah this year, Van Dijk’s long-term future will surely come under scrutiny over the next few months.

At 35, Van Dijk is past his peak, but he remains an important player for Liverpool. You can imagine him finishing his career there, although some may have thought the same about Robertson and Salah.

If not for injury problems, Martinez’s future at Manchester United might already be settled.

But those fitness concerns will have to be taken into account in any decision about the 28-year-old’s future.

After recording an astonishing number of assists, Dimarco was named the best player in Serie A last season and is eager to continue his long association with Inter.

The 28-year-old has now made more than 200 appearances for the club, having established himself as a regular over the past five seasons.

Rodri was back at his very best at the World Cup, standing out for a successful Spain side.

Manchester City will be hoping he can maintain those levels throughout the season ahead, though there is still a small chance he could be tempted away.

There have been links between Rodri and Real Madrid, which would see him follow Bernardo Silva to the Spanish capital.

But he was guarded about his future while on international duty, saying: “Right now, as I said before the FIFA World Cup, I have a contract at my club, and it will be something I want to settle when it ends.”

One to watch closely.

Ruiz will soon be running out of space in his trophy cabinet after adding a World Cup title to his collection.

The midfielder has won back-to-back Champions Leagues with PSG, who are now expected to extend his contract until 2029.

Until he signs on the dotted line, there will surely be clubs checking whether they can land one of the finest midfielders in world football.

After a disappointing spell at Chelsea, Pulisic has revived his career over the last three years with AC Milan.

But their failure to qualify for the Champions League again next season may be on his mind.

Milan do have an option to extend Pulisic’s contract until 2028, which could help them keep the 27-year-old away from rival clubs.

Fernandes committed his future to Manchester United last summer despite interest from Saudi Arabia, and they were grateful for that as he went on to break the record for the most assists in a Premier League season.

The 31-year-old still has major ambitions for what he wants to achieve with United, so you would imagine he still has unfinished business at Old Trafford.

Vini Jr’s contract saga could well be one of the major talking points of the summer transfer window — especially with all these Arsenal rumours.

A couple of years ago, Vinicius was a Ballon d’Or contender and one of the most valuable players in the world.

At the moment, he is not really in the discussion for individual awards, but he is still rated extremely highly.

There is not much clarity over his future at Real Madrid, though, and Arsenal are now reportedly looking into a move. That would be huge.

There will not be many players in the world with as much leverage in talks over their next contract as Kane.

The Bayern Munich striker has been one of the most in-form players on the planet over the past year and remains at the peak of his powers, even as he nears the age of 33.

Barcelona have been linked with the former Tottenham striker, but Bayern are clearly hoping he does not follow Robert Lewandowski and instead commits his future to them.

“I’m quite open to staying longer,” Kane said in November. “The way we are right now and the way we are playing, I feel we are one of the best teams in Europe, for sure.

“I don’t look at any other team and think, ‘I want to go there.’ I’m really happy here.”

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