While free agent Lionel Messi has been dominating the headlines after his previous contract with Barcelona FC expired on Wednesday, it’s worth noting that the 2021-22 summer transfer window has a plethora of serial winners who have run out of contracts and are available for free.

The conclusion of the 2020-21 European football season spelt the end of numerous top footballers�?associations with clubs that they served and won titles with for a lengthy spell. From Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos to AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, there are plenty of top players who are on the market for free in the summer transfer window.

Here is a list of the top five footballers, who can be signed for free during this transfer window.

David Luiz

The former Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain defender is looking for a new club. The 34-year-old Brazilian defender has won one Premier League as well as a UEFA Champions League title with Chelsea and two Ligue 1 titles with PSG. A centre-back who excels in long-range passing, David Luiz's most successful stint came with Chelsea where he scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists. He also has more than 50 caps for the Brazil national team.

Sergio Ramos

The former Real Madrid skipper is probably the most decorated name on this list. In his 16-year-long glittering career with Los Blancos, Sergio Ramos won La Liga five times and the UEFA Champions League four times. With the Spain national football team, Ramos has won the FIFA World Cup once and the UEFA Euro Cup twice. He also boasts 104 club career goals and 40 assists. Having played alongside some of the best footballers, Ramos is the biggest free agent available in the transfer market at the moment.

Jerome Boateng

Yet another FIFA World Cup winner who is looking for a club is Germany's Jerome Boateng, whose contract with Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich ended last month. With two UEFA Champions League winners medals and nine Bundesliga titles to his name, the 32-year-old veteran can be an enormous addition to any club. The robust centre-back also scored 10 goals and provided 25 assists during his time with Bayern.

Diego Costa

A proven striker in the most competitive leagues in Europe, Diego Costa is another prominent name on this list. The 32-year-old Spaniard had severed his ties with current La Liga winners Atletico Madrid in January earlier this year and has since been searching for a new club. Diego Costa has won two Premier League, two La Ligas and one UEFA Europa League title in what’s been a glittering career. The robust centre-forward, who scored 83 goals for Atletico and 58 goals for Chelsea, still remains a lethal option for upfront.

Gianluigi Donnarumma

The most promising name on this list, Gianluigi Donnarumma is just 22-year-old and has 30 caps for the Italian national football team already. An AC Milan academy product, Donnarumma burst onto the scene in 2015 when his steady reflexes and shot-stopping ability between the sticks drew a lot of attention. The towering shot-stopper has since grown in stature and is currently the second-best custodian in UEFA Euro 2020 after England's Jordan Pickford in terms of goals conceded.

Featured photo: AFP / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

Arsenal are known for their attractive brand of football that mostly revolves around their attacking players. However, the Gunners need to add a quality centre-back and must tighten up defensively if they want to return to their glory days.

One look at their priorities in the transfer market, though, would suggest otherwise, with the north London club looking to strengthen their midfield and add to their attack.

Defensive midfielder Thomas Partey has been heavily linked to the club and will add to their defensive stability, but the Ghanaian alone is not the answer to Arsenal’s defensive woes.

After all, here’s a team that managed to keep just 10 clean sheets last season. They finished eighth in the Premier League after conceding 48 goals �?only Chelsea and Burnley let in more goals in the top half of the table.

While some goals that they let in can be put down to the brilliance of the opposition, more often than not, it was Arsenal that kept shooting themselves in the foot.

It’s also worth noting that their style of play focused on ball-retention invites opponents to press high up the pitch and force errors from not just their defenders but the midfielders as well.

Both Unai Emery �?Arsenal’s previous manager �?and their current boss Mikel Arteta have a fascination with playing the ball out from the back like most of Europe’s top teams.

But judging by the personnel at the club and some of the numbers from last season, it’s difficult to see the club succeed with their desire to play out from the back without bolstering their defence.

With Sokratis Papastathopoulos seemingly poised to leave the club, Arsenal are left with David Luiz, Calum Chambers, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding and William Saliba as their recognized centre-back options for next season. Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolašinac have also shown that they can do a job in a back three, although they are more comfortable out wide.

Needless to say, none of these names inspires confidence. While Saliba is tipped for a bright future, the French youngster has just joined the club and will need some time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League.

Holding and Chambers, on the other hand, have been part of the club for some time without really making the most of their opportunities, partly due to injuries as well as a failure to get a proper run of games owing to their inconsistency.

That leaves us with the duo of Luiz and Mustafi, who were at the heart of Arsenal’s defence in their run-in last season and didn’t exactly make the best of cases as far as showing why the manager should keep faith in them.

Arsenal fans themselves have been known to be struck with panic when they see Mustafi in the starting line-up and Luiz is another who cannot be relied on as his two unnecessary red cards in the league last campaign demonstrated.

On his day, Luiz can be a game-changer, but the problem lies in the fact that those days aren’t the norm and more often the exception. Luiz, in fact, made more errors that led to goals (2) than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League last season.

The Brazilian defender also claimed another unwanted honour in the league last season when he set the record for most penalties conceded in one season by a single player (5). Luiz, though, is very much a part of Arsenal’s future plans with the club only recently confirming his contract extension.

5 - David Luiz has given away five penalties in the Premier League this season, the most any player has ever conceded in a single campaign in the competition. Calamity. pic.twitter.com/GWFhbNOjxe

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 26, 2020

And while the additions of Mykola Matviyenko from Shakhtar Donetsk, Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig as well as John Stones on a loan deal from Manchester City have been mooted, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that any of these moves will go forward.

Even if Arsenal were to add any of the aforementioned players to their backline, questions marks surrounding how much of an upgrade they are over Arsenal’s current defenders will still remain.

Upamecano aside, the acquisition of Matviyenko or Stones won’t signal the end to their defensive frailties. While Matviyenko will have to make the step up from the Ukrainian league, Stones isn’t particularly confident bringing the ball out of the back and has lost his starting spot at City following below-par displays.

With so many variables to factor in, maybe Arsenal have decided to focus their recruitment in the midfield and forward areas, hoping to outscore opponents.

That said, scoring goals by the dozen is easier said than done and Arteta would do well to realise that all great sides are built on a solid foundation, starting from the back. Most recently, Liverpool only became one of the best teams in Europe after the addition of Virgil van Dijk to the team.

Arsenal don’t even need to look at another club. Prior to the Arsene Wenger era, the Gunners were known for being a well-drilled unit under their pragmatic former boss George Graham, who led them to two league titles - two League Cups and the FA Cup.

To revert to that style of football, of course, isn’t possible in the modern game. However, it wouldn’t hurt to perhaps take a trip down memory lane and have a look at what it was that made Arsenal’s great sides successful.

Attacking football may now be ingrained in the club’s identity but the Gunners will do well to remind themselves that a good attack may win them a few matches but a solid defence is what will get them titles.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Rui Vieira

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

Hostilities will resume when Chelsea battle Arsenal in the all-London FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

The two local rivals battled in the Europa League final last season and it was Chelsea who emerged victorious with a 4-1 thrashing of Unai Emery’s side in what was Eden Hazard’s farewell game for the Blues.

Despite it being just 13 months since that final, both teams will head into the contest with new managers at the helm. Chelsea appointed Frank Lampard after Maurizio Sarri’s departure back home to Italy and Arsenal sacked Emery midway through the current season and poached Mikel Arteta from Manchester City to lead them into the future.

• Arsenal vs Chelsea FA Cup final: Preview, team news, where to watch

It won’t only be the managers but also a few new faces who weren’t part of that Europa League final that will take centre-stage on Sunday. We take a look at the five players who could impact their team’s trophy aspirations in the FA Cup final.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be the Gunners�?go-to man on Sunday in the final.

The Gabonese has struck 68 goals for Arsenal since joining them in January 2018 from Borussia Dortmund and been the silver lining in a rather poor spell for the club. Aubameyang scored twice in the semifinal against Manchester City in Arsenal’s surprise 2-0 win over the defending champions.

He was on target against Chelsea at the Emirates and gave his side the lead, but the much-maligned Arsenal defence conceded two sloppy goals in quick succession and the Gunners lost 2-1.

The Arsenal captain will be eager to score a goal or two and lift the FA Cup on Sunday, his first with the Gunners. 

Christian Pulisic

The American wonder kid has been a revelation for Chelsea this season. Pulisic has scored nine goals in his debut campaign with the Blues and has delivered some brilliant performances over the course of the season.

Like Aubameyang, Pulisic arrived from Dortmund and was touted to be Eden Hazard’s replacement at the club. The youngster hasn’t let the pressure of expectation bog his performances and has been immense for Frank Lampard’s men over the course of the season. Pulisic has been in top form since the return of football post-lockdown and scored goals against Manchester City and Liverpool.

The American is in red hot form and will be the Blues�?biggest threat in attack in the final.

Olivier Giroud

The Frenchman was on his way out of Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window, with Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur chasing his signature. However, an injury to Tammy Abraham meant that Giroud stayed put and Chelsea coach Frank Lampard will be counting his lucky stars that he did.

Giroud has scored six goals in his last seven matches and was on target in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. He also opened the scoring in Baku in last year’s Europa League final and assisted one of Hazard’s two second-half goals.

The 33-year-old was let go after Arsenal acquired Aubameyang from Dortmund and he’ll be gunning to pip his former side in another cup final.

David Luiz

The Brazilian’s season with Arsenal has been nothing short of a calamity.

Luiz conceded five penalties in the Premier League this season - a new record - and has been constantly called out for his atrocious performance since signing for Arsenal in the 2019 summer transfer window. Arteta’s lack of options at the back means that Luiz will start the final against the club that he represented up until last season and another lapse by the 33-year-old could be all that it takes for Chelsea to win the FA Cup.

Willy Caballero

Alongside Manchester United’s Sergio Romero, Chelsea’s Willy Caballero is perhaps the most accomplished backup keeper plying his trade in the Premier League. The 38-year-old became the temporary first choice at Manchester City in 2016/17 and moved to London to join Chelsea in 2017.

The Argentine became a cult hero after his heroics against Liverpool in the 2016 League Cup final, where he saved three penalties in the shootout to help City win the cup. Caballero has seen his playing time go up quite a bit this season, as Kepa Arizzabalaga’s disastrous form forced manager Frank Lampard’s hand to play the experienced keeper. He was in goal this past weekend in Chelsea’s all-important 2-0 win over Wolves that secured their Champions League status for next season and will be the man between the sticks on Sunday.

Caballero has already won the FA Cup with Chelsea back in 2018 and will be keen to add another winner’s medal to his cabinet.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Phil Noble

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

A taxing season of football in England has finally culminated in two of London’s biggest clubs locking horns in the oldest football tournament on the planet, as Arsenal ready themselves for the 139th FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday at Wembley.

The Blues�?manager Frank Lampard has done a commendable job with the limited resources he has had this season, guiding his squad toward Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League while also taking them to the FA Cup final.

His counterpart on the day, Mikel Arteta, brought in as a replacement of Unai Emery in December, has shown glimpses of brilliance at times, but also struggled with consistency. Finishing a lowly eighth in the league means the Gunners will be without European football next season, but winning the FA Cup would give them an opportunity to bring the glorious nights back at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s road to the final

Arsenal had a rather easy run to the final, having defeated the likes of Leeds United, Bournemouth and Portsmouth in the opening rounds. They narrowly got the better of Sheffield United in the quarter-final to set up a clash against Manchester City for a place in the final.

Defying the odds, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Arsenal stunned their opponents to get a shot at winning a record 14th FA Cup title.

Chelsea’s road to the final

The Blues started off their FA Cup campaign with an easy 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the third round, followed by a 2-1 win over Hull City in the subsequent round. They squared off against Liverpool in the fifth round and as Jurgen Klopp decided to field a rather young squad to concentrate more on the league, an easy 2-0 win for Lampard gave them the passage to book a place in the quarter-final.

A goal from Ross Barkley made all the difference against Leicester City as Chelsea progressed in the semi-final where a stern Manchester United awaited. Olivier Giroud, Mason Mount and an own goal from Harry Maguire guided them to a thumping 3-1 win as Chelsea set course for a repeat of the 2017 FA Cup final.

Arsenal Team News

Right-back Hector Bellerin hasn’t featured for Mikel Arteta since their victory over City due to the issues in his calf. The Spaniard, however, is set to return after being named on the bench during his side’s final Premier League game of the season.

While his return provides a boost, the likes of Shkodran, Pablo Mari, Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers remain the long-term absentees. 

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea will be bolstered by the return of their midfield man-machine N’golo Kante, and in attack, Willian could mark his return after being left out against Wolves with an unspecified injury. The only absentee for Frank Lampard is young midfielder Billy Gilmour.

Arsenal player to watch - David Luiz

Despite being extremely inconsistent throughout the season, defender David Luiz is very much a part of Arteta’s rebuild. In fact, the last time these two sides met, the Brazilian was at the receiving end of a straight red, but a late goal from Hector Bellerin snatched victory right at the death as the game finished 2-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Luiz has had his moment of brilliance and with two senior centre-backs missing, Arteta would want a stern performance from his veteran.

Chelsea player to watch - Olivier Giroud

In the 148 years of history of the FA Cup, only one player has scored for and against the same side in a Cup final. So as Olivier Giroud returns to face his former side, he will aim to become only the second man on the list after Frank Stapleton, who scored against Manchester United in 1979 while playing for Arsenal, and then for United four years later against Brighton.

Giroud’s association with Wembley is outstanding, to say the least, as the Frenchman has won as many as seven medals at the venue, including four FA Cup triumphs and three Community Shield medals. But what he will be most remembered for is his goal against the Gunners in last season’s Europa League final, a game that Chelsea won 4-1.

Having scored seven goals in his last 10 appearances, Giroud is well and truly tipped to have a major impact on the night.

Key facts

If Arsenal manage to stun Chelsea, Arteta, who won the FA Cup as a player with the Gunners in 2014, will become the first person to win the cup with Arsenal as a captain and a manager.

This will be Chelsea’s 14th appearance in the final - half of which have come in the last 13 years. The Blues have won seven of their last nine finals.

Arsenal vs Chelsea FA Cup Final - When and where to watch live

Arsenal and Chelsea will lock horns in an empty Wembley Stadium on Saturday, August 1 at 10:00 PM IST.

The game will be broadcast exclusively on the Sony Network, and you can watch the game on Sony Ten 3 as well as on the SonyLiv app.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Daniel Leal-Olivas

David Luiz insists Arsenal's shock 2-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals proves they deserve to be contenders for major trophies.

Arsenal defender Luiz enjoyed a sweet moment of redemption as his superb display paved the way for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double to knock out holders City at Wembley.

Luiz was lambasted after giving away a goal before being sent off for conceding a penalty in Arsenal's 3-0 defeat at City in their first game following the coronavirus hiatus.

But the Brazilian kept City at bay in the rematch and Arsenal, through to a record 21st FA Cup final, will play Chelsea or Manchester United in the showpiece on August 1.

"We have a final to play this season and we will try and win a title for this club because this club deserves to win a trophy," Luiz told BT Sport.

"It was a great result against one of the best teams in the world. We were humble, we understood the way we had to play and we took the opportunities to score.

"We have to be mature, to understand what level we are in the process."

Luiz paid tribute to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who out-witted City boss Pep Guardiola with a shrewd game plan, and saluted his team-mates' fighting spirit.

"We have an amazing coach but we can't go from 0 to 100. We are improving. The spirit was great and I'm happy for the team because they deserve it," Luiz said.

"All the team defended, it is not just the last line. Everybody has to fight and play every ball 100 percent. It's part of the process.

"We could do more of this in the game so it would maybe be easier. The other team is miles away in front of us but we were humble so when we play we can hurt the opponent and we did that."

Asked if he was hurt by the criticism following the defeat at City in June, Luiz -- who has since signed a new contract -- said: "It is part of the football. I understood that football is about surviving.

"Every day you are going to defend the odd thing. I was working hard every single day after my mistakes. I was humble to work more and to work more for the team."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Matthew Childs

As many as four players, including defender David Luiz, have signed new contracts with Arsenal, the club announced on Wednesday.

Veteran defender David Luiz has signed a new one-year deal with Arsenal. The 33-year-old Brazil international joined the Gunners last year from Chelsea on an initial 12-month deal.

He was heavily criticised after being sent off in last week's 3-0 loss to Manchester City -- when the Premier League resumed after the coronavirus shutdown.

But Arsenal technical director Edu hailed Luiz's influence on and off the pitch.

"David is a really important player for us," he told the club website.

"He has played most of our matches this season and has been important for the team. His passing, his communication with the team on and off the pitch -- he helps everyone."

Read | Chelsea duo Willian, Pedro sign on for rest of season

Arsenal have also moved to make the temporary moves of fellow defenders Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares into permanent arrangements, while midfielder Dani Ceballos's loan from Real Madrid has been extended until the end of the 2019/20 season.

"I am really happy that we will have these players in our squad for the future," said Edu.

"They have been part of the long-term technical plan (manager) Mikel (Arteta) and I have developed. They bring the right balance to our squad."

Arsenal, who are 10th in the table, will bid to end a run of two defeats since the resumption away at Southampton on Thursday.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Aris Messinis

Manchester City secured a roaring 3-0 win against 10-man Arsenal in their first game of the Premier League's restart on Wednesday, but despite the thrashing, the game will be mostly remembered for David Luiz’s wretched performance against Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Brazilian, who was named on the bench, came on to replace injured Pablo Mari in the 24^th minute, and moments before the half-time, put City through on goal. Failing to have a strong impact on Kevin De Bruyne’s ball, his mistake was duly capitalized by Raheem Sterling, who made no mistake in making it 1-0 for the home side.

After a mere five minutes into the second period, Luiz conceded a penalty and was further shown a red for his foul on Riyad Mahrez into the area. Kevin de Bruyne made it 2-0 from the spot. Guardiola’s men hammered the final nail in the 91^st minute, with substitute Phil Foden making it a 3-0 for the Cityzens.

2011 - The last time that a player was sent off, conceded a penalty & committed an error leading to an opposition goal in the same game after coming on as a substitute within the top 5 Euro leagues, was in March 2011 by Iván Córdoba for Internazionale vs Brescia in Serie A. Rare. http://t.co/BjoVD5mFHj

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 17, 2020

A horrific night for David Luiz was criticized by the fans and the pundits alike, and the Brazilian duly took the blame for the defeat.

"It's not the team's fault, it was my fault," he said after the game. "Today I think the team did well, especially with 10 men, the coach is amazing, the players did amazing, it's just my fault.

"I took the decision to play, I should have taken another decision in the last two months, but I didn't. It was all about my contract, whether I stay or not. I have 14 days to be here, and that's it. Today was my fault.�?/p>

As for the fans, here's how they are reacting to his display:

David Luiz is the first Premier league player to be sent off in an empty stadium

�?ULTRA FUTBALL (@UltraFutball) June 18, 2020

Mikel Arteta adding David Luiz into the Arsenal defence pic.twitter.com/ewdeLTFWi2

�?ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) June 18, 2020

David Luiz arriving to Arsenal’s training session tomorrow morning... pic.twitter.com/Sc2w9J7oaq

�?CLOUD 9 (@AlhajiCloud9) June 18, 2020

Arsenal squad to David Luiz: “Come, We don forgive you, we no go beat you.�?

Luiz: pic.twitter.com/UPVpOeSq6O

�?Man United in Pidgin (@ManUtdInPidgin) June 17, 2020

David Luiz, Chelsea’s greatest export to Arsenal pic.twitter.com/Yw8Ztifc5H

�?Khal Bussie (@iam_bussie) June 18, 2020

Peter drury Commentary highlight On M. City vs ARS

David Luiz is more of a pandemic to Arsenal than coronavirus

I like watching Luiz play, he is anywhere between ridiculous and sublime

Mikel Arteta survived corona virus but it is David Luiz who will most certainly kill him

�?ᴛʜᴇ ⚡️ʙᴇᴛᴛɪᴘsᴛᴇʀ�?(@itytipster) June 17, 2020

Unpopular opinion:

David Luiz would rather get an assist than make make a clean sheet

�?Toka (@twaka90) June 18, 2020

Arsenal fans to David Luiz after waiting 3 months for football to be back.... #MCIARS pic.twitter.com/d8ZcuzNQ32

�?Alec (@AlecOutHere) June 18, 2020

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Laurence Griffiths