The 8 best free transfers in football history have been ranked (2024)

Football has seen its fair share of huge transfer fees paid for players over the years, and the inflated market shows little sign of slowing down. There are, however, still bargains to be found in the transfer market.

Since the Belgian midfielder Jean-Marc Bosman successfully sued his club Standard Liege at the European Court of Justice in 1995, players have been able to move without a transfer fee to another team once their contract expires. The free agent pool is regularly unfairly judged, with many seeing it as a place for ageing players.

However, some of the world's best players have found themselves without a contract before getting snapped up by a savvy side. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe is one of several high-profile stars to have moved between clubs without commanding a fee. Here is a look at the best free transfers in football history.

Ranking Factors

• Honours won
• Influence at previous club
• Difficulty of competition
• Profit made

8 Michael Ballack

During Michael Ballack's final season with Bayern Munich, there was interest from some of the biggest clubs in world football, including Manchester United, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Ballack opted to join Chelsea on a free transfer in May 2006. It was a Chelsea side that had just won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho, with the manager aiming to build a special team at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho said at the time of Ballack's arrival:

During his time at Chelsea, Ballack won the FA Cup three times while also picking up a League Cup and the Premier League title. The Germany international fell short of European glory with the Blues, losing in the 2008 Champions League final to Manchester United on penalties. Over 167 appearances for Chelsea, Ballack scored 26 goals and assisted 22. The midfielder rejected a new contract at Stamford Bridge in favour of a move back to Germany and one of his former clubs, Bayer Leverkusen, on another free transfer.

7 Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. His vision, creativity and range of passing were up there with the very best, so when Pirlo arrived in Turin on a free transfer from AC Milan, Juventus knew they were getting a bargain. During his time with the Old Lady, Pirlo won four Serie A titles, and fell agonisingly short of lifting the Champions League with the club, losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the final of the competition in 2014/15. The Italy legend played over 100 games for Juventus, scoring 19 times and assisting 38 goals.

Following Juventus' Champions League final heartbreak, Pirlo left the club on a free transfer to join MLS side New York City FC. The midfielder played in the MLS for three seasons before hanging up his boots and venturing into management, where he would return to Juventus. He managed the Turin club from August 2020 to May 2021.

6 Esteban Cambiasso

One of the most decorated players in football history, Esteban Cambiasso made the move from Real Madrid to Inter Milan on a free transfer in 2004. The Argentina international established himself as one of the best midfielders around during his time at the San Siro. Cambiasso spent 10 seasons at Inter Milan. During that time, he won 15 trophies, including five Serie A titles and the Champions League.

Cambiasso played over 400 games for Inter Milan, scoring 51 times and providing 32 assists. A shock move to Premier League newcomers Leicester City on a free transfer followed, where he stayed for a season and helped the Foxes retain their top-flight status, before hanging up his boots after two seasons in Greece with Olympiacos.

5 Steve McManaman

Arguably the most underrated player of his generation. Steve McManaman signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid with five months remaining on his Liverpool deal in 1999. The midfielder won six trophies during his time in the Spanish capital, including two La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.

During his four seasons at Real Madrid, McManaman made over 100 appearances for the club, scoring 14 times and providing 20 assists. After being limited to just 15 outings in his final season in Spain, the England international returned to the Premier League, joining Manchester City before calling time on his career.

4 Paul Pogba

The ever-controversial Paul Pogba moved on a free transfer from Manchester United to Juventus in 2012. The French international quickly proved his Mancunian doubters wrong with several incredible performances for his new club. Pogba made over 150 appearances in Turin, scoring 34 times and providing 41 assists. The midfielder started to show some consistency and helped Juventus win eight trophies in his four seasons at the club, including four Serie A titles.

Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United for £89m in 2016, seeing Juventus make a healthy profit on the midfielder. The French international won the Europa League during his second spell with Manchester United. Still, it turned sour again, and a second spell with Juventus followed before failing a drugs test and receiving a four-year ban from playing in 2024. It is a potentially sad end to a career for a clearly talented player.

3 Luis Enrique

After playing over 150 games for Real Madrid, Luis Enrique made the controversial move to fierce rivals Barcelona on a free transfer in 1996. Enrique quickly became a mainstay in the Barcelona side, winning seven trophies during his time at Camp Nou, including two La Liga titles. Surprisingly for a player of such stature, Enrique failed to win the Champions League during his playing career.

The tireless midfielder ended his career at Barcelona in 2004, after playing 300 times for the Catalan giants. He later returned to Camp Nou as manager, winning nine trophies during that time, including two La Liga titles, and finally getting his hands on the UEFA Champions League.

2 Kylian Mbappe

Arguably one of the most talented players France has ever produced. Surprisingly, Kylian Mbappe failed a trial at Real Madrid in 2012, but 18 major trophies later, including a World Cup, the striker finally sealed his dream move to the Bernabeu in 2024. Mbappe decided against extending his PSG contract and refused to move elsewhere. He was always destined to sign for Real Madrid.

Mbappe has made over 300 appearances during his incredible career, averaging more than one direct goal contribution per game. Astonishing numbers for a 25-year-old, and he is yet to reach his peak years. The striker has that 'Galactico' aura about him, and Real Madrid will benefit both on and off the pitch, with Mbappe's shirt sales needed to help fund the enormous signing-on fee which the Frenchman received.

1 Lionel Messi

Widely regarded as the greatest football player of all time, Lionel Messi moved from his beloved Barcelona to PSG in the summer of 2021. After 17 seasons and 34 trophies at Camp Nou, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, a new challenge in the French capital awaited him. During his time with PSG, Messi won two Ligue 1 titles and his impressive numbers continued. The Argentina international scored 32 times and provided 35 assists in just 75 appearances for the club.

In July 2023, after two seasons in Ligue 1, Messi became a free agent again, despite a rumoured return to Barcelona. He moved to the MLS to join David Beckham's Inter Miami. Messi's contract with the Florida franchise is judged to be one of the most complex in football history. The deal reportedly includes agreements with Apple and Adidas, and Messi earns an estimated $60m (£47.3m) a year.

Player stats are sourced from Transfermarkt. Correct as of 17th June 2024.