Biggest name Bundesliga players available on a free transfer this summer

The curtain officially came down on the 2025/26 Bundesliga season on May 16th, with each of the league's 18 teams playing out their final fixtures. Champions Bayern Munich once again stole the show, just as they have done all season, with Harry Kane netting a blistering hat trick to take his haul to a whopping 58 for the season in a 5-1 win over FC Koln. Stuttgart, meanwhile, secured their spot in next season's Champions League as their 2-2 draw away at Eintracht Frankfurt, coupled with Hoffenheim's disastrous 4-0 defeat away at Mönchengladbach, sealed fourth place. 

At the opposite end of the table, it was heartbreak for St. Pauli, who lost their crunch relegation clash at home to Wolfsburg and fell through the trap door to the second tier. They will join Heidenheim in the 2. Bundesliga, who were also relegated on the final day with a 2-0 defeat at home to Mainz. The Wolves managed to keep their head just above water, but they will still need to win a relegation playoff to remain in the top flight next season. 

But as the campaign draws to a close, so do the careers of several top Bundesliga stars, with their contracts set to expire on June 30th. So, which big names are poised to leave their current clubs on a free transfer this summer? And, crucially, where are they likely to end up? Let's take a look. 

Leon Goretzka 

Experienced central midfielder Leon Goretzka made headlines eight years ago when he left Schalke on a free transfer for Bayern Munich, drawing the ire of Royal Blues supporters who knew that their prized asset was leaving them in the lurch with absolutely nothing in return. Fast forward to now, and the 31-year-old leaves the Allianz Arena as one of the most successful German midfielders of all time. 

The former Bochum youngster won the Bundesliga title in all but one of his campaigns in Bavaria, as well as twice winning the DFB Pokal and, of course, the 2020 UEFA Champions League. Now he is set for a move, but before that, he heads out to North America with a German national team that online betting sites make fringe contenders to win the World Cup this summer. The latest odds from Sportaza online sportsbook make Die Mannschaft a 12/1 shot to claim a record-equalling fifth title on the other side of the Atlantic, and Goretzka will likely play a crucial role in any success they have as he provides the energy in central midfield. 

Once the tournament comes to an end, however, Goretzka will be gearing up for a maiden campaign with a new club. Italian giants AC Milan are thought to be at the front of the queue in the race to secure his signature, while Juventus, Inter and Arsenal have also been linked with the midfielder.

Julian Brandt 

Julian Brandt has long been considered one of the Bundesliga's most creative playmakers. He shone when he burst onto the scene with boyhood club Bayer Leverkusen throughout the back end of the 2010s, racking up some 42 goals and 52 assists as he helped Die Werkself to Champions League qualification in three of his five full seasons as a starter. 

He would go on to move to Borussia Dortmund for €25m after BVB triggered his release clause in the summer of 2019. At Signal Iduna Park, Brandt became the crucial playmaker at the tip of the midfield, creating a slew of chances for the likes of Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi, and, at one point, a young Erling Haaland. 57 goals and 70 assists in six seasons speak of a man at the top of his game, and he would be rewarded for that form with a DFB Pokal winners medal in 2021, as well as a trip to the Champions League final three years later. 

Now, however, his time in Dortmund is set to come to a close. BVB managing director for sport Lars Ricken confirmed back in March that his star attacking midfielder would be departing at the expiry of his contract this summer, and a new challenge lies ahead for the former Leverkusen star. Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid is considered the likely destination, with Brandt brought in to directly replace the outgoing Antoine Griezmann at the tip of the Atleti midfield. What a signing that would be, both for the Spanish club and for Brandt himself. 

Xaver Schlager 

RB Leipzig's Xaver Schlager remains one of the finest deep-lying playmakers in the Bundesliga. He has shone with the Red Bulls since making the move from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2022, racking up over 100 appearances in Saxony, despite an injury-riddled 2024/25 season that saw him play just four times. 

The Austrian international helped Leipzig claim the DFB Pokal in his first season, and in his last, he was instrumental in the club sealing its return to the Champions League. Now, however, his stint at the Red Bull Arena is set to come to an end. 

He was informed in February that the club wouldn't be renewing his contract, making him free to leave after June 30th. A whole host of Europe's biggest names are now on high alert, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus making contact in recent weeks. Newly minted Scottish champions Celtic also mounted an ambitious bid to secure his services, but Schlager will surely now head to one of the continent's big boys.