At the end of every season, the manager of a football club must decide which players he wants to keep and which he will let go.
In most cases, an unwanted player will be transfer listed and subsequently sold or loaned out when an interested team comes knocking on the door. There is, however, a third way.
If a player is out of contract at the end of the season and is unwanted by the club (or the club is unwanted by the player), he will be released and become a free agent. Sunderland experienced this the hard way a few years ago, when Jack Colback and Phil Bardsley left for nothing to join Newcastle and Stoke respectively.
The loan deals of Adnan Januzaj and Jason Denayer also expire at the end of the season, whilst David Moyes will need to make a decision on whether or not to take up the option to sign Javier Manquillo permanently.
Five players are out of contract this summer. We take a look at who they are.
