With the January transfer having been open for a week, the transfer rumours have been flying between fans in the Transfer Tavern thick and fast, ranging from the ridiculous to the predictable.
That isn’t to say that transfer rumours are unexpected and the teams in the top tier of English football may be set to match or even top the £130 million that has been spent in the league during the winter window in the past two seasons.
In addition to the rumours, there have also been several deals completed by Premier League teams already, with many more expected to be completed before the deadline at the beginning of next month.
However, there are also several Premier League players who will be out of contract at their respective clubs come July, which means that they are eligible to agree a pre-contract with another club outside of England during this January window and move to their new club once their current contract expires.
In this article, we will be taking a look at five of the top Premier League players who are currently available to snap up on a pre-contract.
Hit the image below to see FIVE Premier League stars available for free this summer!
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Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick has spent the majority of his career at Manchester United since he moved to Old Trafford from Tottenham back in 2006.
Primarily a centre midfielder, the 34-year old has also been utilised as a centre-back by all three of the Reds managers that he has played under.
The Englishman is approaching the 300 appearances mark, although he will probably fail to reach that landmark with the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera expected to be ahead of him in the pecking order next season.
The leadership and experience of a player who has been capped 31 times by England and is United’s vice-captain may be something that could appeal to a lesser team looking to strengthen their squad.
Adam Johnson
Despite the fact that former Manchester City winger Johnson is currently undergoing legal procedure for alleged affairs off the pitch, his on-pitch ability may catch the eye of sides in need of an attacking player.
The 28-year old is currently playing for his struggling hometown team Sunderland, but with his contract expiring in the summer, the Englishman may be looking for a move elsewhere.
Johnson impressed during his time at City, scoring six times and assisting twice in 26 appearances, and earned a call-up to the senior England team. Since then, he has accumulated 12 caps and 2 goals for England.
Nathan Dyer
Currently on loan at surprise title hopefuls Leicester, Dyer has only managed six appearances this season. The 28-year old may struggle to add to that total following the arrival of winger Demarai Gray at the King Power Stadium.
Recent reports indicate that Swansea have not included a recall option in the terms of the winger’s loan, meaning that he will most likely remain at Leicester for the remainder of the season.
Having spent eight seasons at Swansea, helping them to gain promotion to the Premier League, the Englishman may look to make a move elsewhere in an attempt to revive his career.
Gaston Ramirez
Despite claims back at the start of the season by Southampton boss Ronald Koeman that the playmaker was back in his plans after he made his first Saints appearance in over a year, Gaston Ramirez has had no evidence of such a claim.
The Uruguayan, who is also capable of playing on either flank, is yet to start a Premier League fixture this campaign and has only made three substitute appearances, providing one assist.
Ramirez spent last season on an uninspiring loan at Hull City, making 11 starts and scoring once.
However, should any club be interested in signing him on a free transfer to bolster their attack, they would probably look to his debut season in England where he scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists from 20 starts.
Charles N’Zogbia
Aston Villa winger N’Zogbia looks set to leave the club during this transfer window, with Greek outfit AEK Athens interested in taking him on loan until the end of the season, while he also reportedly has offers from several American clubs.
The 29-year old has had an unimpressive four-and-a-half years at Villa Park, yet he remains as one of Villa’s highest paid players, earning £65,000 a week.
With Villa not set to renew his current deal further, reports suggest that the Midlands team could even terminate the Frenchman’s contract before the season draws to a close.
Despite his poor time at Aston Villa, any club interested in potentially signing the winger may recall the form which saw Villa sign him from Wigan when he was playing regular football, netting 9 goals and accumulating 5 assists from 32 starts back in 2010/11.
