Top 5 free agent signings
In recent times, the economic issue in world football has taken on another importance, since there has been cases with clubs that disappeared or were close to disappearing due to poor management. Because of this, Financial Fair Play regulations have been implemented to keep clubs financially healthy. It is important to consider that when making a transfer, a club not only pays a transfer fee to the other club but also pays commissions to the agent and the player.Therefore, many times, the idea is to sign players who are nearing the end of their current contracts in order to reduce the cost of the transfer. Although it is rare for clubs to let their key players finish their contracts, there are notable cases of signings at zero cost that have been very profitable both from a sporting and economic point of view.
Robert Lewandowski (From Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich)
After exploding into the national team, the Pole arrived at Borussia Dortmund as a little-known striker in 2010. After a season of adaptation, Lewandowski showed his best goalscoring side with the team that was then managed by Jurgen Klopp. In the summer of 2014, after three great seasons at Dortmund, the Pole left for BVB's rivals, Bayern Munich and, what made it worse, for free since his contract ended that same summer.Lewandoski spent 8 seasons with the Bavarian club where he would score 344 goals in 375 matches, scoring more goals than games played in his last three seasons, a clear indication of how dominant the striker was in the Bundesliga. As if this were not enough, in 2022, Bayern Munich received 45 million euros from FC Barcelona for the Pole. Without a doubt, a sound deal from all angles.
Sol Campbell (From Tottenham to Arsenal)
He was one of the most controversial signings of his time and possibly in the history of the Premier League. The English center back spent three years in the Spurs academy before making his debut in the first team in 1992, where he gradually found his place first as a full back and then in the center of defense. His imposing physique and intimidating personality allowed him to establish himself in the team, even becoming captain.By the summer of 2001, his contract with Tottenham was expiring and despite receiving an offer of a renewal that would make him the highest paid player in the squad, Campbell decided not to renew and try his luck at another team. To the surprise of many, he would sign a contract with Spurs' bitter rivals, Arsenal. At the Gunners he would establish himself in the starting eleven from the start, managing to win 5 titles, including two Premier Leagues, where one was in the season when Arsenal came to be called The Invincibles. In addition, he achieved his goal of playing UEFA Champions League football and reaching a final, that of 2006 where Arsenal lost against Barcelona.
Andrea Pirlo (From AC Milan to Juventus)
In 2001, AC Milan and Inter made several player changes between them, one of which was Andrea Pirlo who changed the blue and black for the red and black. Coinciding with Pirlo's arrival at Milanello, Carlo Ancelotti also arrived, who had full confidence in the playmaker from the beginning, forming a great midfield with Gattuso and Seedorf that gave Milan many joys. In 2011, after 10 years at the club, the club chose not to renew Pirlo's contract that ended on June 30, seeking to initiate a kind of generational change.Milan saw that Pirlo and some other players in the team were a bit "old" and were not fit to play for a club of the highest level since their best years, in theory, were already behind them. Juventus quickly offered Pirlo a contract and he quickly proved that he still had a lot of football in him, becoming one of the best midfielders in the world during his first few seasons with the Vecchia Signora. Pirlo lived a second youth in Turin which surely made the Milan board regret it and Juventus made an excellent signing.
Estaban Cambiasso (From Real Madrid to Inter)
At just 16, the Argentine signed for Real Madrid's reserve team but left for Argentina again, and after three years back home with Independiente and River Plate, he returned to Spain. Cambiasso arrived at a Real Madrid that was in the middle of the Galacticos era (we could say, the first Galacticos era), where Florentino Perez was applying the philosophy of Zidanes and Pavones, which consisted of combining world stars with youngsters from the club's academy. Cambiasso played few minutes in the two years that he was in the Real Madrid first team, and mostly coming on as a substitute.In 2004, his contract was up and, not fitting in with the club president's philosophy, Cambiasso signed for Inter. From his arrival he was a regular at the starting eleven and established himself as an important piece for every manager who arrived at the Italian club. In his 10 years at Inter, he won 5 Serie A, 4 Coppa Italia and the memorable UEFA Champions League under Mourinho. He was an important part of one of the best periods of Inter's history.
Paul Pogba (Manchester United to Juventus)
It is worth mentioning that we here are referring to the first time that the Frenchman Paul Pogba signed for Juventus, where he arrived on a free transfer from Manchester United after not wanting to renew his contract with the Red Devils, curiously, when he was just starting to get minutes with the first team. His relationship with the English club was not very good since according to Sir Alex Ferguson, the player did not show respect for the club. In the first instance, the departure of a player with only a few minutes in first tier football should not have been so significant for either United or Juventus.However, the Vecchia Signora's manager at the time, Antonio Conte, began to place more and more faith in the French midfielder who did not waste his opportunities and established himself as one of the best players of his age in the European scene. But the matter did not end there as Manchester United, now without Sir Alex, would later sign Pogba again, paying 105 million euros, which was the most expensive transfer in the history of football at that time. For Juventus, it was a fantastic deal, while for United it was quite bad, mildly speaking.