The art of the free transfer – and why Real Madrid are the masters of it

Nobody told the 20 Premier League clubs, who spent an eye-watering £3.1 billion this summer, if “the best things in life are free.”

The top division of English football is situated in a special position. The money awarded to clubs competing in the Premier League far outweighs that of their European counterparts, as popularity and profits have grown.

Real Madrid, however, once more demonstrated this summer that only a certain amount of money can accomplish.

The Spanish giants are in a league of their own when it comes to acquiring top talent for nothing or for the next few thousand.

The only reason the club paid was to make Trent Alexander-Arnold more valuable so that he could be signed ahead of the Club World Cup when Los Blancos signed him from Liverpool for 10 million euros (£8.4 million) in June.

After signing Alexander-Arnold for free if Real had decided to wait until 2025, Real Madrid had won the free transfer lottery for the fourth time in five years after acquiring David Alaba in 2021, Antonio Rudiger in 2022, Kylian Mbappe in 2024, and Alexander-Arnold, who would have joined for free if Real had chosen to wait.

The fact that they have signed players from their biggest rivals in Europe, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris St-German, and Liverpool, respectively, makes their hoard even more impressive.

When the 36-time champions of Spain call, according to La Liga commentator Phil Kitromilides, it’s nearly impossible to ignore them.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, or who you played for before,” he said. This is the only team you had when you were a child, regardless of who your team was growing up with. He said, “This is the biggest thing you will ever do for a career.”

Take Trent as an example, who played for his hometown team, [Liverpool]. Only Real Madrid would be the exception to this rule. The allure and grandeur come together.

Real Madrid’s decision to sign these players for nothing is not surprising. The players are frequently aware that the La Liga club may not be able to afford them or may not be willing to pay the asking price for them, which is intriguing.

However, because they are so eager to join, they are willing to reduce the duration of their current agreements.

Real Madrid has a long and distinguished history of bringing home significant trophies, and Bernd Schuster, a famous free agent, left in 1988 to pursue his career at the Bernabeu.

Add Steve McManaman, Michael Laudrup, and Fernando Morientes to the list of free moving names.

Nick Mavromaras, the agent of the Canadian striker, reported to BBC Sport that several clubs in Europe were attempting to sign his client.

He claimed that it was both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. You constantly engage in conversations with clubs, indirectly. No, not before six months.

We anticipated high wages. In the end, we found Juventus to be exactly what we wanted, despite some clubs finding them to be extremely excessive, especially in the Premier League.

David left Lille on respectable terms despite making it clear he would not accept a new deal. Angel Gomes, his teammate, was expelled from the team after it was made clear he wouldn’t be renewing his contract, but David kept his place on the team that participated in last year’s Champions League.

Of course, signing a free agent doesn’t come without its problems.

The disgruntled club chairman, who may have imagined what could have been done with any transfer money, and the team’s manager, who may not have had a key player with him, are also present.

And of course, the supporters, who undoubtedly waited patiently throughout the contract renewal negotiations, which ultimately led to no agreement.

In such a situation, the player appears to be the real winner, but Liam Bowes, the football agent, said to BBC Sport, things are never as simple as they seem.

The decision of a player not to renew is a calculated risk because they are gambling with their career. And the better the chance is.

Agent Sky Andrew, who brokered the most recent free agent deal that shook the foundations of football when Sol Campbell moved from Tottenham to Arsenal in 2001, says that surprise is a rarity in modern football transfers.

Andrew responded, “I told him that you would respect your contract.” Then, if someone offers you something better than what you already have, you can look.

One of the most sensational transfers in Premier League history is former England captain Campbell’s switch between Spurs and Gunners.

Only a select few people were aware of the deal before a news conference was held, which added to the drama.

Andrew, who spoke to BBC Sport after the infamous saga, said he was surprised that players who kept their contracts were still occasionally viewed as the bad guys in the circumstances.

According to Andrew, “It’s hypocritical for anyone to criticize a player who honors their contract because they have a job to do, play football,”

“Footballers frequently play chess in a very large game. Players have a lot of control over their destiny, and agents, managers, and directors are all making that decision.

They’re not likely to shake the foundations of the football summer transfer window, though that may change once more in the summer.

Bernardo Silva and John Stones, the duo from Manchester City, Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, Dayot Upamecano from Bayern Munich, and Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona are all free agents in 2026.

After his deadline-day move to Liverpool ended, two Premier League players, including Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and Liverpool centre-back Ibrahim Kanoute, should keep an eye on in the final year of their contracts.

Who else has been linked to both names? Real Madrid .