The Best Out of Contract Players this Summer!

It's all change with the Premier League transfer window this year as it opens and closes earlier than before.

The new dates are to ensure that all transfers are completed before the start of the 2018/19 season.

The Premier Leagu transfer window is now open. lt did so at midnight on 17th May.

It will then close at 5pm on 9th August - instead of 31st August, which it has been in previous years.

The reason for the changes to the transfer window are so clubs avoid disruption to their squads once the Premier League season has kicked off on 11th August.

That means domestic transfers can be completed now, but transfers from abroad can only be finalised once the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) opens at midnight on 8th June.

In France, the transfer window will open on 9th June. In Italy and Germany it will be on 1st July and in Spain it will be on 2nd July.
The windows in those four leagues will close on 31st August.

The EFL transfer window is already open.
It opened on Monday, 7th May for domestic transfers. Clubs involved in play-offs can sign players now - but cannot play them until their season is over.

The EFL window closes at the same time as the Premier League, at 5pm on 9th August - five days after the new EFL season begins.

EFL clubs will still be able to sign players on loan until 31st August. They can also sign free agents up until the same date.


A look at the list of players nearing the ends of their contracts across Europe raises the possibility of many intriguing deals!

# Here I take a look at a selection of the players whose current deals are due to expire on 30th June 2018!

* Obviously some of these players may have already agreed new terms/contract with their current club or a deal is in place for them to join another Club, but as I write these players are 'officially' out of contract at the end of next month.

Emre Can - Age: 24 / Current Club: Liverpool / Position: Defensive Midfielder

Max Meyer - Age 22 / Current Club: Schalke / Position: Midfielder

Vicente Guaita - Age 31 / Current Club: Getafe / Position: Goalkeeper

Luke Shaw - Age 22 / Current Club: Manchester United / Position: Left-Back (Contract option of one further year)

Milan Badelj - Age 29 / Current Club: Fiorentina / Position: Defensive Midfielder

Pepe Reina - Age 35 / Current Club: Napoli / Position: Goalkeeper

Jack Wilshere - Age 26 / Current Club: Arsenal / Position: Midfielder

Sergio Canales - Age 29 / Current Club: Real Sociedad / Position: Attacking Midfielder

Joel Ward - Age 28 / Current Club: Crystal Palace / Position: Right-Back

Kwadwo Asamoah - Age 29 / Current Club: Juventus / Position: Full-Back/Midfielder

Arjen Robben - Age 34 / Current Club: Bayern Munich / Position: Winger

Yohan Cabaye - Age 32 / Current Club: Crystal Palace / Position: Midfielder

Andrea Masiello - Age 32 / Current Club: Atalanta / Position: Centre-Back

Tim Krul - Age 30 / Current Club: Brighton / Position: Goalkeeper

Franck Ribery - Age 35 / Current Club:Bayern Munich / Position: Midfielder

Gianluigi Buffon - Age 40 / Current Club: Juventus / Position: Goalkeeper

Marouane Fellaini - Age 30 / Current Club: Manchester United / Position: Central Midfielder

Stefan de Vrij - Age 26 / Current Club:Lazio / Position: Centre-Back

James Collins - Age 34 / Current Club: West Ham / Position: Centre-Back

Giorgio Chiellini - Age 33 / Current Club: Juventus / Position: Centre-Back/Left-Back

Joel Robles - Age 27 / Current Club: Everton / Position: Goalkeeper

Rafina - Age 32 Current Club: Bayern Munich / Position: Right-Back

Sung-yong Ki - Age 29 / Current Club: Swansea / Position: Defensive Midfielder

Thiago Motta - Age 35 / Current Club: Paris St-Germain / Position: Midfielder

Daley Blind - Age 28 / Current Club: Manchester United / Position: Centre-Back/Left-Back

Joao Moutinho - Age 31 / Current Club: As Monaco / Position: Midfielder

Stephen Ward - Age 32 / Current Club: Burnley / Position: Left-Back

Mario Balotelli - Age 27 / Current Club: Nice / Position: Forward

Boaz Myhill - Age 35 / Current Club: West Brom / Position: Goalkeeper

Andrea Masiello - Age 32 / Current Club: Atalanta / Position: Centre-Back

Yaya Touré - Age 35 / Current Club: Manchester City / Position: Central Midfielder

Andrea Barzagli - Age 36 / Current Club: Juventus / Position: Centre-Back

Michel Vorm - Age 34 / Current Club: Tottenham / Position: Goalkeeper

Davide Santon - Age 27 / Current Club: Inter Milan / Position: Left-Back

James Morrison - Age 31 / Current Club: West Brom / Position: Central Midfielder (Contract option of one further year)

Glen Johnson - Age 33 / Current Club: Stoke / Position: Right-Back

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Age 34 / Current Club: Juventus / Position: Right-Back/Right Wing-Back

Hatem Ben Arfa - Age 31 / Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain / Position: Attacking Midfielder

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Christian Benteke, West Ham, David de Gea, Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez, Juventus, Dimitri Payet, AC Milan, Mario Balotelli, Everton, Jose Mourinho, Aston Villa, Yaya Toure, Leicester, Roberto Di Matteo, Ajax, Dani Alves, Watford, John Terry and Swansea City to name but a few!


Real Madrid will look to sign West Ham and France midfielder Dimitri Payet, 29, but not until after Euro 2016 - Le 10 Sport (French sports publication)

West Ham will turn their attention to signing Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, 25, after having a club record £31m bid rejected for Lyon's 24 year-old French international striker Alexandre Lacazette - The Sun

The Turkish press is today echoing interest in Jose Mourinho joining Fenerbahce and the Turkish club are preparing an offer in the region of 15 million euros annually for the Portuguese born boss - AS.com

Arsenal have submitted a £51m offer to Juventus in an attempt to sign 23-year-old forward Alvaro Morata during the summer transfer window - Corriere dello Sport (Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome)

Real Madrid have until 15 June to trigger 25-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea's £39m release clause - Dairio AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Romelu Lukaku's father thinks his son will leave Everton for around £65m before Euro 2016 gets under way - Daily Express

Former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre is in the hunt for the Everton job after holding talks with Goodison officials, but Saints boss Ronald Koeman and Dutchman Frank de Boer still top the shortlist - The Sun

A Far East consortium are believed to be close to agreeing a deal to buy Aston Villa and that would make Roberto Di Matteo the favourite to pip Nigel Pearson to the manager's post - Daily Express

Watford have held talks with former Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri and the club could appoint their new head coach by the end of this week - Gazetta dello Sport (Italian sports newspaper)

Yaya Toure's agent has claimed talks are being held with Inter Milan over a summer move. Speculation about the Manchester City midfielder's future has been an ongoing theme and it appears he could reunite with former City boss Roberto Mancini at San Siro - skysports.com

Rafael Benitez has agreed to stay on as manager at Newcastle United and will be given full control over transfers as he plans for next season in the Championship - Daily Mail

Claudio Ranieri wants to bring £15m-rated Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik to Leicester. The 22-year-old has scored 47 times in 76 appearances for his club - Daily Mirror

Swansea City boss Francesco Guidolin has urged the Club not to cash in on £10m-rated striker Andre Ayew - The Sun

Swansea have Junior Hoilett top of their wanted list this summer with the 25-year-old winger's contract expiring at QPR - Daily Mirror

Dani Alves will stay in Barcelona for at least another season - skysports.com

Liverpool and Italy forward Mario Balotelli, 25, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, is wanted by Spanish side Espanyol - Fichajes, via Daily Star

John Terry has signed a new one-year deal with Chelsea. The club have said decision has been taken following consultation between Terry, incoming manager Antonio Conte, the owner and the board - skysports.com

Arsenal are keen on Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney and Leicester's Ben Chilwell. However the Gunners have yet to make any offers and are expected to offer around £6m for both of them - Daily Mail

French-Senegalese forward M'Baye Niang, 21, currently on a contract with AC Milan until June 2019, has become a main target for both Liverpool and Tottenham. Niang, is also interesting Borussia Dortmund and Stoke City as well - gianlucadimarzio.com

Incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to hijack neighbours United's move for the Schalke's attacking midfielder Leroy Sané. The German international is also on the radar of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as well - Daily Star

Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez has signed a new long-term deal with the Spanish club. There had been speculation that Manchester United were interested in the midfielder, but he has committed his future to Atletico - skysports.com

Real Madrid star Isco wants to stay at Santiago Bernabeu next season, as he told the club's official website: "I'm happy with what I've achieved but excited by the future. There is no better place to win titles than at Real Madrid. My aim is to work day by day because I'm an ambitious player and I've still got a lot to demonstrate" - Realmadrid.com

AS Roma's attempt to sign Guinean-Italian midfielder Amadou Diawara, 18 could be hijacked by Juventus, as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba. Also of interest to several other European clubs, the player is currently on a deal with Bologna until June 2020 - transfermarketweb.com

Cardiff City have confirmed Paul Trollope as their new manager - skysports.com

FC Crotone recently promoted to Serie A, will face a huge job to convince manager Ivan Juric to stick around following interest from Leeds United - Daily Express

Bristol City have signed Wrexham youngster Johnny Smith for an undisclosed fee - skysports.com

Defender Nathan Smith has signed a one-year deal with Yeovil Town - skysports.com

Some of the best 'Trash-Talk' quotes in Sport!

Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations (such as sports events). Trash-talkers are athletes who save their antics for opponents and talk trash to intimidate the opposition and by doing so attempt to put them 'off of their game.' On occasions it can also be used in a humorous spirit. Trash-talk is often characterized by use of  hyperbole, or figurative language, e.g. "You run like bambi on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are also commonly used.

Trash-talk was commonly used by the heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in the 1960's and 1970's. Since then, it has become common for boxers in particular, but also for other sportsmen to use trash-talk.

Mike Tyson:

As a trash talker, Tyson was at his best when his boxing skills were on the decline.
In one of his more memorable moments, Tyson had these words for Lennox Lewis after a warm-up fight against Lou Savarse that lasted just 38 seconds!

"I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. No one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander! I'm the best ever. There’s never been anyone as ruthless as me. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's no one like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!"

In 2002 Lewis knocked out Tyson in the eighth round at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, in what was, at the time, the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history.

Scottie Pippen:

"Just remember, the mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays, Karl."

It was played on a Sunday and Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen's 27 points in Game One of the 1997 NBA Finals paled in comparison to his one-line psych out with just 9.2 seconds left of the game - of the Utah Jazz's main man no less. After getting fouled, Utah's Karl Malone (also known as the Mailman) stepped up to the free throw line. Pippen walked up behind him and uttered that immortal taunt, and Malone missed both his free-throws, following this harsh reality check regarding mail on Sundays. The Bulls took the first game and went on to win the series.

Muhammad Ali:

"I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on." (ahead of a fight against Floyd Patterson)

On November 22, 1965, in yet another attempt to be the first to win the World Heavyweight title three times, Patterson lost to Ali by technical knockout at the end of the 12th round, going into the fight with an injured sacro-iliac joint in a bout in which Ali was clearly dominant. Ali called Patterson an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call him Muhammad Ali (Patterson continued to call him Cassius Clay) and for this outspokenness against black muslims. Instead of scoring a quick knockout, Ali mocked, humiliated and punished Patterson throughout the fight.

Rod Marsh and Ian Botham:

When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words:

"So how's your wife and my kids?"  Botham's retort was "Wife is fine, kids are retarded"

Antonio Langham:

"His mouth is writing checks that his ass can't cash"

Defensive-back Antonio Langham for Alabama on the trash talking by the Florida quarter-back before the 1st SEC (Southeastern Conference) Championship game in 1992.

Mike Tyson: 


"I am many things. I am an animal. I am a convicted rapist, a hell-raiser, a loving father, a semi-good husband. You don't really know me."

Mike Tyson at a news conference where he cursed, jumped on a table, stripped off his shirt, complained about medication hurting his sex life and threatened to put "a (expletive) bullet" through the head of Lennox Lewis.

Michael Jordan:

In 1992, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Jordan told rookie Dikembe Mutombo that he would shoot the free throw with his eyes closed. Before he did, he looked at Mutombo and said:

"This one’s for you."

Then he closed his eyes, hit the shot and told Mutombo:

"Welcome to the NBA."

Floyd Mayweather Jr.


"When I retire, I’ll get Ricky Hatton to wash my clothes and cut my lawn and buckle my shoes. Ricky Hatton ain’t nothing but a fat man. I’m going to punch him in his beer belly. He ain’t good enough to be my sparring partner."

In 2007, after he beat Oscar de la Hoya, Mayweather had these savage words for Ricky Hatton, the British champion, before beating Hatton in ten rounds.

Mario Balotelli:

Mario Balotelli, Italy’s hero in the Euro 2012 semi-final against Germany, is so pumped for the final, he’s talking trash via social media. He tweets the above quote to Spain defender Gerard Piqué, who dates rump-shaking pop goddess Shakira. Strong words from a guy who shags prostitutes.....and then cried when his side lost in the Final.

Muhammad Ali:

"After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him."

And then he destroyed Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston on 25th Feruary 1964, in Miami Beach, to become the youngest boxer ever at 22, to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion.

Viv Richards and Greg Thomas:

This incident took place during a county championship match between Glamorgan and Somerset. Glamorgan paceman Thomas had beaten Richards' bat a couple of times and informed him:


"It's red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering."

The very next ball Sir Issac Vivian Andrews Richards gave him the royal treament and smashed the ball out of the ground, into a nearby river - at which point he piped up:

"Greg, you know what it looks like. Now go and fetch it."

Mike Tyson 

"[He] called me a ‘rapist’ and a ‘recluse’. I’m not a recluse." (Tyson talking about writer Wallace Matthews).


There are great trash-talking athletes, and there are great trash-talking moments. Unfortunately, many one-liners used by some of these athletes were never recorded. In our day of viral video, we’re not sure if miking up every athlete would be a good idea or not. There’s no doubt, however, that doing so would provide endless hours of entertainment for the casual and not-so-casual sports fans.

Controversial and amusing messages on t-shirts worn by footballers

Without by any means wanting to take any of the spotlight away from a couple of very sad and high profile incidents within football recently, I would like to say that there have been many wonderful goodwill gestures by players and fans alike, many in the form of messages on t-shirts, in support of both Fabrice Muamba and Stiliyan Petrov, and in addition an extremely touching gesture by Southampton striker Billy Sharp. I would like to take this opportunity to say to all of them good luck, stay strong and my thoughts are with you. I sincerely hope that they will all make a full recovery or at least are able to come to terms with their own personal torment and anguish, sorrow and sadness.

Professional footballers in the major leagues in Europe and during major tournaments like the World Cup are regularly under immense pressure both in terms of their performance and in how they act personally on and off the pitch. This means that when they score a goal, they understandably tend to go a 'bit over the top.’

Some footballers however, who are confident enough before the game that they will score, prepare often poignant, controversial or funny t-shirts to wear underneath their strip, with a message to be revealed when the cameras are squarely on them just after they’ve stuck the ball in the back of the net.
Here are some of the more famous examples of this and what message each football star chose to convey…

1. Lee Trundle.

After Swansea beat Carlisle in the 2006 final of the Football League Trophy at the Millennium Stadium, Trundle removed his shirt to reveal a T-shirt showing a cartoon of a man in a Swansea kit peeing on a Cardiff shirt. The tricky scouser made sure he'd never be welcome in any Cardiff boozer for the rest of his life as he continued to celebrate his team's 2-1 success that day by parading a Wales flag around the Millennium Stadium with the words "F*ck off, Cardiff" emblazoned on it.
Both Trundle and team-mate Alan Tate were arrested by police three days later for taunting Cardiff City FC and their fans following the victory.
A South Wales Police statement read: "South Wales Police have arrested a 23-year-old man and a 29-year-old man on suspicion of section four public order offences, and that both men had been bailed as a result."

2. El Hadji Diouf.

Controversy folows Diouf wherever he goes! At the 2002 World Cup, the Blackburn player celebrated scoring for Senegal by lifting up his shirt to reveal a T-shirt bearing a face that looked a lot like Osama bin Laden. Actually, it was Cheikh Amadou Bamba, a Senegalese mystic who Diouf follows.

3. Artur Boruc.

In April 2008, the controversial Celtic goalkeeper caused a religion-related ruckus when he revealed a T-shirt bearing bearing a picture of the late Pope John Paul II and saying "God Bless the Pope" in a game against Rangers.
Then-Celtic manager Gordon Strachan made light of the antics of his 'Holy Goalie,' a name given to him due to his custom of blessing himself before games. "If it was ‘God bless Myra Hindley,’ I might have a problem," joked Strachan.
Politicians didn’t see the funny side. Gregory Campbell, a Democratic Unionist Party MP, tabled a House of Commons motion 'deeply regretting' the Pole’s behaviour during the Old Firm match.


4. Mohamed Aboutrika.

At the 2008 African Cup of Nations, the Egyptian midfielder lifted his shirt after scoring against Sudan to reveal a T-shirt bearing the message "Sympathy with Gaza." He was given a yellow card for breaking FIFA’s rule against displaying political slogans during play, but received no further punishment for his political statement.
Some Arab commentators described this yellow card as a 'honourable punishment' for any athlete. In Gaza, Palestinian people went out, raising Aboutrika's photos thanking him and appreciating his act.

5. Paul Tait.

Tait played for Birmingham City for eleven year, without distinction. His most famous moment came in the 1995 Auto Windscreens Shield final, when, after scoring the 103rd-minute ‘golden goal’ winner against Carlisle United, he revealed a T-shirt that read: "Shit on the Villa". That's Aston Villa, Birmingham’s rivals, in case there was any doubt about which Villa he meant. He was fined two weeks' wages for the incident.

6. James Beattie.

An optimistic James Beattie went for the rather obscure phrase "Obvious" which was written on a t-shirt which he displayed after scoring for Southampton against Middlesbrough in 2003, as a 'nudge' to then-England boss Sven Goran Eriksson that he wanted to wear the Three Lions on his chest. That year Beattie did go on to earn the first of his five England caps under the ever experimental Sven Goran-Eriksson. It was in a 3-1 loss to Australia at Upton Park, which incidentally was the same game that Wayne Rooney made his debut. Unfortunately for Beattie though his career did not follow a similar path to Rooney’s.
He played his last ever game for England in November 2003 and was not selected for the Euro 2004 squad. Beattie, now 34 currently plys his trade in the third tier of English football with League One side Sheffield United.

7. Mario Balotelli.

Manchester City went about making a collective statement of intent with their 6-1 hammering of Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2011, but it was a personal message from Mario Balotelli that got the ball rolling for Roberto Mancini's men at the Theatre of Dreams.

As a footballer with an almost innate ability to attract headlines on both the front and back pages of the press, it was fitting for the Italian to question his critics in the printed word. After his wonderfully taken 22nd minute strike to break the deadlock, the former Inter Milan player turned and lifted his jersey to reveal a sky blue shirt reading "Why always me?" - no doubt a nod to the brewing media storm prior to the match, after it was revealed that he had set fire to his house, by setting off fireworks in his bathroom in the early hours of Saturday morning.
He was the coolest man inside Old Trafford that day, after stroking home the first of his two goals in the Manchester demolition derby.

8. Robbie Fowler.

There was little more Robbie Fowler, otherwise known as God in Liverpool could do to increase his popularity in the red half of Merseyside during the 1990's, but his showing of solidarity with striking dockworkers in the city, in a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Brann in March 1997 only served to cement the striker as a Kop hero.
Originally from Toxteth, an area synonymous with the city’s docking community, Fowler unveiled a T-shirt with a fake Calvin Klein logo that read: "Support the 500 Sacked Dockers". The forward received a fine of £1,400 for his actions.


9. Marco Materazzi.

If Balotelli is Manchester City's provocateur-in-chief, then it's possible that the Italian learnt a few tricks in infuriating his opponents from former Inter team-mate Marco Materazzi.

As the Italian side secured a historic treble under Jose Mourinho, with a Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in Madrid in May 2010, the defender, who came on as a substitute in on the 92nd minute substitute, felt compelled to rub his side's success in the faces of their derby d'Italia rivals Juventus.

Wearing a T-shirt with a picture of the defender holding the Champions League trophy and the words "Do you want this too?" in reference to Juventus' request for Inter to be stripped of their 2005-06 Serie A title as a result of match-fixing allegations that formed part of the Italian football's 'Calciopoli Scandal.'


...................and for those well endowed football supporting ladies out there, who may want to let guys with ' wandering eye trouble' know how you feel, this t-shirt is especially for you!

Thank you God for............Beer, Footy and Birds!