Best free transfers ever!

IT’S now 25 years this month since Jean- Marc Bosman entered a European Court of Justice as a footballer and came out as a NOUN!

The court decided that the midfielder could choose to see out his contract with one club and then leave on a free transfer to join another. So, from being a footballer, as he was in December 1995, JeanMarc became known the world over as ‘ The Bosman Rule’ – everytime soccer transfers are mentioned!

So which players have been the best ‘ Bosman free’ transfers in the game since that court ruling in 1995?

Here are my selections ( in A- Z order): Dani Alves ( Juventus to Paris St Germain, 2017), Roberto Baggio ( Inter Milan to Bologna, 2000), Michael Ballack ( Bayern Munich to Chelsea, 2006), Estaban Cambiasso ( Real Madrid to Inter Milan, 2004), Sol Campbell ( Spurs to Arsenal, 2001), Ruud Gullitt ( Sampdoria to Chelsea, 1995), Miroslav Klose ( Bayern Munich to Lazio, 2011), Henrik Larsson ( Celtic to Barcelona, 2004), Zlatan Ibrahimovic ( Paris St Germain to Manchester United, 2016), Sami Khedera ( Real Madrid to Juventus, 2015), Robert Lewandowski ( Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munuch, 2014), Gary McAllistair ( Coventry to Liverpool, 2000), Steve McManaman ( Liverpool to Real Madrid, 1999), James Milner ( Manchester City to Liverpool, 2015), Jay- Jay Okocha ( Paris St Germain to Bolton, 2002), Andea Pirlo ( AC Milan to Juventus, 2011), Gus Poyet ( Real Zaragoza to Chelsea, 1997), Aaron Ramsey ( Arsnal to Juventus, 2019), ( Real Madrid to Schalke, 2010) and Gianluca Vialli ( Juventus to Chelsea, 1996). And although he hasn’t done much, Paul Pogba ( Juventus to Manchester United, 2016) can also be added to the list.

Lewandowski, Milner and Pogba are still playing at the highest level while Ibrahimovic is active in Italy, just about! Lewandowski, in fact, has now scored over 260 goals in 300+ games for Bayern since his move from Dortmund – and I say he has been the best- ever BOSMAN FREE signing. Milner has made close on 230 appearances for Liverpool; Cambiasso had 420 games for Inter; McManaman had 158 outings with Real and both Pirlo and Khedera played in 150 games for Juvé.

Details made public after the court hearing on December 15, 1995:

The court ruled the system, as it was constituted, placed a restriction on the free movement of workers and was prohibited by Article 39 ( 1) of the EC Treaty ( now Article 45 ( 1) of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union).