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Ilkay Gundogan is heading back to Manchester City.

Every Premier League club’s biggest out of contract star this summer

Ben Stewart •

Some huge stars are set to be out of contract in the summer and we’ve gone through each Premier League club and picked out their best player set to depart on a free.

Clubs now just have a few months left to tie up any contract extensions or they risk letting some of their prized assets walk away for nothing in the summer.

We’ve selected the best player from every Premier League club who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Arsenal – Reiss Nelson

The Gunners have repeatedly offered the winger a new deal, but as of now nothing has been signed. Nelson has only featured sparingly for Mikel Arteta this season, but his impact has still been felt.

His best moment of this campaign remains to be his 97th winner in Arsenal’s bonkers 3-2 win over Bournemouth. It would be a shame to see him leave.

Aston Villa – Ashley Young

A few people raised their eyebrows when a seasoned Young made his return to Villa Park in 2021, but he has managed to prove all of the doubters wrong.

Still as fit as ever at 37, the defender still has plenty to offer yet. With Aston Villa on the verge of Europe under Unai Emery, Young’s experience could prove vital.

Bournemouth – Jefferson Lerma

The Colombian midfielder is adored on the south coast and Cherries fans will be desperate for him to extend his stay. After five years with the club, Lerma is now assessing his options for the future.

Brentford – Zanka

The Bees won’t have too many concerns when it comes to expiring contracts. Even in the case of Zanka, the club has the option to trigger a one-year extension in his contract.

Brighton – Joel Veltman

“I want him to stay with us next season, because it is not only for me but for the rest of the club too,” Roberto De Zerbi told Vavel. “Yes, he is important. Especially now that Tariq Lamptey isn’t available (due to injury).”

Veltman has been a dependable member of Brighton’s backline since his arrival from Ajax in 2020. As things stand, the club seem confident on striking a fresh deal for him.

Chelsea – N’Golo Kante

Injuries have caught up with the French midfielder this season, but at his best he is still one of Chelsea’s most useful players. The 32-year-old has only played 367 minutes of league football this season, but his absence would still be felt if he does decide to move on.

Chelsea are reportedly negotiating a new deal for the World Cup winner, although the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal are said to be interested.

Crystal Palace – Wilfried Zaha

Things won’t quite feel right at Selhurst Park without Zaha. Palace have reportedly offered him a deal worth more than £10m a season to stay, but the ball is now in his court.

He is nothing short of a modern-day legend for Palace.

Everton – Seamus Coleman

The Irish defender is one of the few players in the Everton dressing room who gets what it means to play for the club. Signed for just £60,000 in 2009, Coleman has been a stalwart for the Toffees for over a decade.

Fulham – Willian

After a disappointing spell with Arsenal and a short stint in Brazil, Willian has looked back to his best at Craven Cottage this season. With six goal contributions so far, he is definitely worthy of a new deal.

Leeds United – Adam Forshaw

While Leeds do hold the option of triggering a one-year extension in Forshaw’s contract, they look unlikely to do so at this stage. The 31-year-old has only started in two league matches and has been hamstrung by injuries.

Leicester City – Youri Tielemans

Despite several attempts to re-sign the Belgian midfielder, Tielemans will depart at the end of the season after a five-year stay with the Foxes.

The 25-year-old won’t be short of offers as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund are all interested in signing the midfielder for free.

Liverpool – Roberto Firmino

We’ll sure miss Firmino’s Brazilian flair in the Premier League.

Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring for Liverpool in their Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, Liverpool, October 2022.

READ: 15 times Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino utterly humiliated the opposition

Manchester City – Ilkay Gundogan 

It’s easy to go under the radar while playing alongside Kevin De Bruyne, but Gundogan’s impact over these last few years shouldn’t go unnoticed.

After all, it was his brace against Aston Villa which clinched the Premier League title last season and Gundogan has scored four times in his last two Premier League matches.

Barcelona seem especially keen on snapping up the Germany international.

Manchester United – Phil Jones

We’re surprised he’s still there, to be honest. Let’s hope he can enjoy a career swansong elsewhere…

Newcastle – Matt Ritchie

The former Bournemouth man has spent the last seven years at St James’ Park and looks likely to depart this summer. Across all competitions, the 33-year-old has only featured in nine matches this season.

Nottingham Forest – Jesse Lingard

After a promising start at the City Ground, things have fizzled out for Lingard. A hamstring injury saw him miss a chunk of the season and he has only featured sparingly over the last few months.

As things stand, he looks unlikely to extend his stay with Forest as links to clubs in MLS and Saudi Arabia have been reported.

Southampton – Mohamed Elyounoussi

With relegation looking increasingly likely, Southampton will already have one eye on a rebuild in the Championship. Elyounoussi is among their high-profile stars who are out of contract at the end of the season.

Tottenham – Lucas Moura

That famous night in Amsterdam will live long in the memory for Lucas and Spurs fans, but now seems the like the right time to move on.

The Brazilian winger has only played 120 minutes of Premier League football this season as Dejan Kulusevski has surpassed him in the pecking order.

West Ham – Lukasz Fabianski

The Polish goalkeeper has racked up over 170 appearances for the Hammers and the club does hold the option to extend his deal by a further year.

Having started in all but two of their league games this season, a fresh deal for the 38-year-old seems like a sensible decision.

Wolves – Joao Moutinho

“I never see the age of the players, I put focus on his performances, his daily work and how he is developing his work,” Julen Lopetegui told reporters in February. “It’s so far away, but we are happy with his commitment, his daily work and he is a good player for us.”

The 36-year-old has been a regular for Wolves since the 2018-19 season and they now have a decision to make with his contract set to expire in the summer.

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