Issue number 224 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the best performing big-5 league players whose contract runs out at the end of the season. Pepe Reina ranks first ahead of two other goalkeepers (Vicente Guaita and Gianluigi Buffon), as well as Arjen Robben. Only footballers having played at least 1,000 domestic league minutes during the current season are included in the rankings.

​

For outfield players, the CIES Football Observatory performance index takes into account the production and efficiency in six different areas of the game: rigour, recovery, distribution, take on, chance creation and shooting. For goalkeepers, it includes the minutes per goal conceded, as well as the number and percentage of saves. Results achieved for matches played are also considered as a weighting factor.

In the top 50 list are many relatively young full international players such as Emre Can (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Leon Goretzka and Max Meyer (Schalke 04), Sanjin Prcić (Stade Rennais) and Stefan de Vrij (Lazio). As for Leon Goretzka, who already signed for Bayern Munich, all these players will most probably be able to negotiate lucrative contracts in prestigious teams.

Best out-of-contract players (CIES Football Index)

Position* - Age - Current club

​

* Gk: goalkeeper, Cb: centre back, Fb: full back, Dm: defensive midfielder, Am: attacking midfielder, Fw: forward
* At least 1000 minutes played in domestic league matches since the start of the season