Premier League 'Bosman' XI
Tuesday 15 December 2015 15:49, UK
Twenty years on from Jean-Marc Bosman's famous court case, we look at 11 current Premier League stars who switched clubs with the help of his ruling.
The Belgian midfielder's court case changed the game, no longer would clubs have to pay a fee for a player's services once his contract had expired - James Milner, Gareth Barry and Bacary Sagna are among the Premier League players who have profited from the change in recent years.
Here's our Premier League 'Bosman' XI of players currently in the top division who have benefited from a free transfer...
Lukasz Fabianski
Polish goalkeeper Fabianski featured in Arsenal's FA Cup win over Hull in May 2014, but allowed his contract to run down the following month, joined Swansea on a free transfer and has become a first-team regular for the Welsh club.
Bacary Sagna
Manchester City are used to splashing big sums on summer signings but France full-back Sagna arrived for free in 2014, after allowing his Arsenal deal to expire. Like Fabianski, his last act for the Londoners was lifting the FA Cup.
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Marc Muniesa
Barcelona to Stoke is not a well-trodden path in the world of football but Marc Muniesa switched the Nou Camp for the Britannia in July 2013 after a knee ligament injury wrecked his final season in Catalonia.
Brede Hangeland
After over 200 appearances for Fulham, Norway defender Hangeland was unable to agree a new deal with the club in 2014 and packed his bags for a move across London to Crystal Palace.
Glen Johnson
Johnson made 200 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions during a six-year stay on Merseyside. However, after seemingly losing his role as first-choice right-back under Brendan Rodgers, the England international moved to Stoke in the summer.
James Milner
Manchester City forked out around £26m for James Milner's services in 2010. But five years on the England midfielder left for nothing when he rejected a new deal at the Etihad and headed to Liverpool.
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Gareth Barry
Like Milner, Barry also allowed his Manchester City contract to expire in favour of a move to Merseyside. After a successful season on loan with Everton, the midfielder made the switch permanent in July 2014.
Tom Cleverley
Barry's Everton team-mate Cleverley joined the Toffees in similar circumstances in 2015. The Manchester United youth graduate found himself out of the first-team frame under Louis van Gaal and headed to Goodison for regular football.
Ibrahim Afellay
Like Muniesa, Afellay left Barcelona for Stoke in the summer of 2015, following the expiry of his deal with the Catalans. The former PSV star was a significant capture for the Premier League side.
Bafetimbi Gomis
After scoring 44 league goals in his past three seasons in France, Gomis was hot property in 2014. However, Lyon were unable to cash-in on the France international - he joined Swansea on a free deal at the end of his contract.
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Danny Ings
Ings completed a 'Bosman' to Liverpool in June 2015. However, because Ings was under 24 years old when he made the move, former club Burnley are entitled to a 'development fee' which will be settled by a tribunal.
