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With the January transfer window fast approaching, clubs across Europe will be looking to improve their squads. There are a host of high-profile stars who would look to sort their futures this January – either by moving to a new club or sign a pre-contract with an interested club and move in the summer.
The players are allowed to sign a pre-contract with another club six months before the end of their current contract. The pre-contract ensures the new club signs the player on for free before other clubs step in to try and convince the player to join them instead.
Let's take a look at the 10 excellent footballers who can sign a pre-contract this January (as well as the clubs interested).
#10 David Luiz (Chelsea FC)
We start this list with Chelsea's centre-back David Luiz. The Brazilian enjoyed quite a good season under Chelsea's new manager Maurizio Sarri. The Italian manager has managed to bring David Luiz back to life after the disappointing last season under Antonio Conte.
David Luiz forms a very dynamic duo with the German international, Antonio Rudiger in the heart of Chelsea's defence. He missed only one game in the Premier League this season so far and he also scored one goal in the derby match against Manchester City.
However, his future at the Stamford Bridge is still in doubt as his contract expires this summer. The Blues have a policy not to offer deals of longer than a year for squad members aged over 30. The latest reports say that he has refused to sign a one-year extension to his current contract and he will be free to discuss with other clubs from January onwards.
#9 Juan Mata (Manchester United)
Juan Mata is the first out of four Manchester United players on this list. The Spaniard came to Manchester United in January 2014 from Chelsea for a reported fee of £37 million. He has played a significant role in the Manchester United shirt but he has never established himself as a standard member of the starting lineup.
The player has hinted that he would be keen to extend his Manchester United contract but there are still no further details about possible negotiations. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the club from Old Trafford. Recently, they fired Jose Mourinho and it's hard to believe that they will win any trophies this season. Many things depend on what plans they have with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and if they will get a new manager in the summer.
#8 Hector Herrera (Porto)
The eighth player on this list is Porto's midfielder Hector Herrera. Herrera is clear in his intention to leave the club as he has already rejected three contract extension offers. The Mexican is well aware of the interest in him so obviously, he wants to leave Portugal and find himself another challenge.
Herrera is also Porto's captain and one of their best players on the pitch. His presence in the midfield line brings a lot of security for their defensive line. He is also a very experienced player who can improve even the best European teams. The reports say that Arsenal is the latest club which is monitoring the situation around Herrera as Unai Emery looks to rebuild his midfield line. Herrera is of 28 years age and this is probably the best time for a transfer to a big club.
#7 Ander Herrera (Manchester United)
Ander Herrera came to Manchester United in the Sir Alex Ferguson-era to replace the legendary Paul Scholes in the defensive midfield position. The Spaniard joined from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2014 and has since made 161 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions.
This season he played 11 matches in the Premier League. He was very productive for his position as he scored two goals and provided one assist. One of the goals came this weekend against Cardiff City in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's debut at Manchester United's bench. However, his current contract expires at the end of this season so he can sign a pre-contract this January with any club. Ander Herrera is a very mobile defensive midfielder and has a warrior instinct which would be welcomed at any club.
#6 Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico Madrid has been probably the best defensive squad in Europe for the past few years. Their style of play is based on a rock solid defence. Diego Godin is in the heart of that defence and he is one of Cholo Simeone's most loyal warriors.
However, his future at the Wanda Metropolitano is still uncertain. His current contract expires at the end of June and it is still unknown whether he will sign a new one or not. This current situation makes the 32-year-old Uruguayan available for contacting over signing a pre-contract this January. At the start of this season, there were rumors about his possible transfer to the Old Trafford. The latest reports say that Manchester United will come again this January as they are desperate to get a world-class centre-back.
#5 Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)
Toby Alderweireld has been one of the best centre-backs in England. However, at the beginning of the last season, he got an injury which sidelined him for almost 5 months.
After that injury, he had problems to recover his place in the starting lineup as Tottenham have so much quality centre-backs. With the start of this season, he managed to recover his place in Mauricio Pochettino's starting XI and now he plays in the best way he knows.
However, his future at this club isn't solved yet because his current contract expires at the end of this season. Thus far, that makes him available for negotiating with other clubs over signing a pre-contract. When he is in form, he is one of the best centre-backs in the world and any manager would love to have him in the squad.
#4 Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain)
Adrien Rabiot is in a very tough situation at Paris Saint Germain. The Frenchman has been very reluctant to sign a new contract with Ligue 1 champions and because of that, the board has made some strict actions. He will be benched for an indefinite period as he is likely to leave the club.
Rabiot is PSG's child but it looks that this love will come to an end. He has only 23 years and is a very talented player for the future. In this current transfer market, Rabiot can be an incredible bargain for a club in need of a central midfielder. Clearly, it won't be so difficult to sign a pre-contract with the 23-year-old midfielder in January as any club is allowed to approach him.
#3 Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
The Welsh international, Aaron Ramsey came to Arsenal ten years ago from Cardiff City. However, it looks like his Arsenal career will come to an end very soon. His contract expires in June 2019 and judging by the current situation, he will not sign a new one.
This situation has already alarmed many top teams to get in contact with his manager. The latest reports say that Italian giants Juventus are already working on his transfer and they want him to sign a pre-contract this January.
We all know that Juventus are the masters when it comes to signing a free player. However, reports also say that they will have a competition from Bayern Munchen who also want to strengthen their midfield line with Ramsey. Despite his contract situation, he enjoys quite a good season with 6 assists already in the Premier League.
#2 Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Here we go again with another Manchester United player. Anthony Martial came to Old Trafford in the summer of 2015 for £36 million, potentially rising to £58 million, and in that period it was the highest transfer fee paid for a teenager.
At the beginning of his Manchester United career, he took the whole world by storm. He finished his first season at the club as the best scorer. However, with Jose Mourinho's arrival, Martial fell in the second plan. The Frenchman hadn't been one of Mourinho's favourites and because of that, he never recovered the form from his debut season.
Martial is a very talented and prospective player and many teams are aware of this fact. Thus far, we can expect that many teams will contact Martial and his agent over signing a pre-contract in January.
#1 David de Gea (Manchester United)
And definitely, the best player who can sign a pre-contract with another club in this transfer window is David de Gea. Is there any manager in the world who wouldn't want to have the Spanish goalkeeper in his squad?
Over the years, de Gea has become one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In the last 5 years, de Gea won the award for Machester United 'Player of the Year' on 4 occasions.
Manchester United board has a tough task to keep their best player and convince him to stay at the Old Trafford. However, the future doesn't look bright for the Red Devils as they don't look to have a strict plan for the upcoming period. They don't look like a side that is capable of battling for the biggest trophies and that could tempt de Gea to leave the club. He can sign a pre-contract with any club this January in an attempt to resolve his future.
