European clubs face concentrated contract risk as high-value players enter final months
IMAGO | France teammates Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano headline this summer’s expiring-contract market, each holding a fair market value of more than €60 million.
The Recap
Several leading European clubs approach January with substantial squad value tied to players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.
Data Insight
Centre-backs represent the largest cluster of expiring value, led by Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano and Marc Guéhi.
Why It Matters
Allowing valuable players to leave without fees erodes clubs’ trading margins and restricts squad-planning flexibility.
The Perspective
Across Europe, top clubs show recurring patterns in how they manage valuable players with expiring contracts.
3 December 2025 - 5:07 PM
In just under a month, the January transfer window opens. This is the moment when players with contracts expiring at the end of the season become free to negotiate with new clubs, and the final opportunity for their current clubs to secure a transfer fee before losing them for nothing.
Recent seasons have seen several high-profile players run down their contracts, with Kylian Mbappé the most notable example.
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