8 Serie A Players Whose Contracts Are Ending Next Season
In the penultimate article on players whose contract ends next summer, I will take a look at who may well be available for free next season in Serie A, evaluate who may want them, and express my surprise at some of the inclusions. Serie A is rich with experienced players that reigned supreme six or seven years ago and are now just hoping to keep their fitness in order to be of use to teams. Javier Zanetti, for example, is 40 years old and is still churning out 40 appearances a season. However, an injury has limited him to just one appearance so far this season. His contract does end next summer as well, but he doesn’t make the list due to age and his commitment to Inter Milan. Esteban Cambiasso, Andrea Pirlo, Diego Milito, David Pizarro, Miroslav Klose, Walter Samuel, Nicola Legrottaglie and many more legends of the game will be out of contract next summer. Plenty of bargains to be had there.
1. Ignazio Abate – Quite a surprising inclusion if you consider the fact that he’s an integral member of the AC Milan side and is actually in his peak years as a player. The right-back is quick, very quick in fact, and can keep pace with most wingers in the world. which is a key attribute of the modern day fullback. He will not be cheap to pick up in January but in the summer he could go on a free and, if a club is willing to take a risk and wait, then they will have a great fullback in their side.
2. Andrea Pirlo – The legend that is Andrea Pirlo could well be picked up by a club on a free which would be an absolute steal. Numerous Premier League clubs have been linked with the industrious Italian and it is no wonder either. As king of the ping, he is extremely likely to find you short or long, meaning he is brilliant at anchoring the midfield and dictating play. He has vast amounts of experience and can be useful in any side in the world.
3. Esteban Cambiasso – The Argentinian is another legend of the game and, yet again, will be a bargain if someone can get him on a free. He was a part of the dominant Inter Milan side that won the Scudetto in 2005/2006 title and every one after that until the 2010/2011 campaign. He is the current captain of the Inter Milan side so it surprises me that a contract hasn’t been placed in front of him yet.
4. Urby Emanuelson – The left midfielder will be known to the Fulham fans as he spent half a season at the club this year. However, the player hasn’t kicked on since he arrived at AC Milan back in 2011 from Ajax. However, he’s still played at almost the top of his game and will be a valuable free agent for any mid-table Premier League side.
5. Allan – The Brazilian is an up and coming talent in Serie A and is starting to gain recognition at Udinese and the league in general. The 22-year-old will be a good signing for anyone who needs a defensive midfielder and a talented one at that. Despite not being the biggest, he is very physical. Some teams need that more than the talent but, in this case, he has both.
6. Piotr Zielinksi – Another Udinese player makes the list and it is another youngster. At 19 years old, he’s the youngest on this list and one of the youngest on all of them. This is why it is strange that Udinese don’t offer him a contract, because he’s an extremely talented attacking midfielder that has attracted the interest of both Manchester clubs in the recent past.
7. Nicolas Burdisso – The Roma centre half hasn’t received much of a look in this season due to the simply incredible form of Mehdi Benatia and Leandro Castan, but suspensions to both the players have allowed Burdisso into the side. Unfortunately for him, that has brought about Roma’s first dropped points of the season. However, Burdisso has experience and talent still and will probably be available on a free next summer, which is fantastic news for clubs looking for a good back-up centre-back.
8. Cristian Chivu – The Romanian centre-back has been a solid defender for both Roma and Inter Milan during his time in Serie A. However, injury concerns have prevented Inter from putting a contract in front of him. The player is currently injured at the moment and has been since the start of the season. Whoever picks him up will get a very experienced defender, which is never a bad thing, but they also have to be wary of his injury record.
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