The new year is fast approaching, and for certain Premier League clubs and footballers, the first month will ring alarm bells. While Premier League clubs have their star players locked down, some footballers, including superstars, have fast expiring contracts in the upcoming summer.Gone are the days when Premier League clubs had all the say on a footballer's transfer. With the Bosman ruling, footballers in both the Premier League and other leagues worldwide can have autonomy. However, as said before, football clubs like to protect their star footballers. They look to tie the players down before they can enter the final year, lest aside the final six months of their contract.A few Premier League stars have expiring contracts in the summerSome footballers have different plans than others when they decide to move to a different club from where they're at. This can be due to several reasons, but one thing is for certain that they have no wish to continue at their existing club. With their contracts ending soon, these Premier League footballers can be signed on pre-contracts to acquire them free of cost once their current contracts expire.#5 James TarkowskiBurnley v Manchester City - Premier LeagueJames Tarkowski has been a loyal player for Premier League club Burnley, whom he joined nearly five years ago. Over the years, Tarkowski has proved his mettle by marshaling the Burnley backline. His performances have been key in ensuring that Burnley never have to mingle with the prospects of relegation from the Premier League. Tarkowski had also come on the radar of Premier League giants Chelsea in the past when a potential move was reported but failed.Everton Transfer Guru@EbolConEverton are in serious discussions with Burnley for James Tarkowski. Player has only 6 months left on his contract. Seen as replacement for injury prone Yerry Mina. Burnley asking for £12-£15m to secure him in Jan 22’. Be a very smart signing🔵3:53 AM · Dec 11, 202131Everton are in serious discussions with Burnley for James Tarkowski. Player has only 6 months left on his contract. Seen as replacement for injury prone Yerry Mina. Burnley asking for £12-£15m to secure him in Jan 22’. Be a very smart signing🔵With Tarkowski's contract expiring in June, Burnley will have headaches to solve. Losing Tarkowski for free will be a double whammy for the Premier League club as they will lose a key footballer without any compensation. If Tarkowski decides to seek greener pastures, it remains to be seen which club he will join. While his role in a bigger Premier League team could potentially be as a backup, he could be a starter for a mid-table side.#4 Andreas ChristensenRussia v Denmark - UEFA Euro 2020: Group BAndreas Christensen has been a Chelsea player through and through. The Danish centre-back had joined the Premier League side from Brondby as a teenager. He has developed from that stage to become a regular in the Chelsea backline. He has grown massively under Thomas Tuchel but has had to fight for minutes. This is one of the major reasons why there are doubts over whether the Danish defender will extend his Stamford Bridge stay.Transfer News Central@TransferNewsCenManchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are all closely monitoring the situation of Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen, who is out of contract at the end of this season. (Star on Sunday)5:30 AM · Dec 12, 2021759Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are all closely monitoring the situation of Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen, who is out of contract at the end of this season. (Star on Sunday) https://t.co/GT4PqPR9S1Tuchel is a strong admirer of the player and banks on the fact that Christensen is a Chelsea fan which can influence his decision. But with no resolution in sight and January coming up fast, Christensen will be on the radar of even bigger clubs in Europe. If he decides to sign a pre-contract, it will be a major loss for Chelsea.