Following confirmation of the 2024/25 released lists by Premier League clubs, football writer Ben Bloom selects standout departures this summer.
Arsenal
Arsenal have said goodbye to the experienced duo of Jorginho and Kieran Tierney, while talks remain ongoing over a new deal for Thomas Partey.
Jorginho may yet play in this month’s FIFA Club World Cup after signing for Brazilian side Flamengo following his release. He made 78 appearances for the Gunners after joining them from Chelsea in January 2023.
Tierney arrived from Celtic in 2019 and was an FA Cup winner at the end of his first campaign. Last season, he made 20 appearances in all competitions - and scored one goal, at Southampton - after returning to Arsenal from Real Sociedad, where he spent 2023/24 on loan.
Watch Tierney's last goal for Arsenal
Partey’s contract is also expiring, but the club have made it known they are in talks over a new deal for the midfielder.
Aston Villa
Robin Olsen will return to his native Sweden as he joins Malmo at the end of his three-and-a-half-year stay at Villa Park.
He largely provided back up to first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, after joining the club in 2022 - initially on loan in January, before making the move permanent in the summer.
Also departing is defender Kortney Hause, who made 32 appearances for Villa between 2019 and 2022, before a nightmare period when he battled to overcome a serious knee injury.
Brentford
Former Burnley defender Ben Mee departs Brentford after 67 appearances in three seasons at the club. Mee missed only one match in his first season in west London.
Josh Dasilva’s contract has also expired, but he will continue to work on his recovery at Brentford’s performance centre until the club provide an update on his future. He did not play at all during the 2024/25 campaign due to a knee injury.
Chelsea
Lucas Bergstrom’s six-year tenure at Chelsea has come to an end. The Finnish goalkeeper never made a first-team appearance for the club, but he was named on the bench for the victory over Real Betis in the recent UEFA Conference League final.
Crystal Palace
Two Palace stalwarts, Joel Ward and Jeffrey Schlupp, have departed the FA Cup-winning club.
Former captain Ward joined Palace in 2012 and went on to make 305 Premier League appearances – more than any other player in the Eagles' history.
Watch Ward's farewell video
Schlupp’s stay lasted more than eight years and he featured in 220 Premier League matches after making the switch from Leicester City, where he won the title in 2015/16.
Everton
Everton could bid farewell to a large cohort of first-team players, with numerous familiar faces out of contract. Ashley Young has departed after two seasons at his fourth Premier League club, while goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia have also left.
Jamaica defender Mason Holgate’s time at the club has ended after 10 years, while Neal Maupay will make his loan move to Marseille permanent.
They could yet be joined by Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the club continuing to discuss new deals with the duo.
Fulham
Brazilian pair Willian and Carlos Vinicius have left Fulham. Willian’s departure brings an end to his third spell at Craven Cottage, having rejoined the club in February on a short-term deal.
Vinicius arrived on deadline day in 2022 and immediately endeared himself to Fulham fans by opening his goalscoring account with the winner in their first victory over Chelsea for 17 years.
Ipswich Town
Relegated Ipswich have said farewell to Massimo Luongo, who played a key part in the club’s successive promotion campaigns from League One to the Premier League.
After previously spending time on loan at Portman Road in 2012, the Australian returned in January 2023 and made 10 Premier League appearances last season.
Leicester City
The headline name among Leicester’s departures is that of England striker Jamie Vardy, who fired the club to Premier League glory in 2015/16 and scored an astonishing 200 goals in 500 appearances after a meteoric rise from non-league football.
Watch some of Vardy's 200 goals for Leicester
Joining Vardy in leaving Leicester are goalkeepers Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen, the latter of whom has signed for Preston North End.
Manchester City
After a glittering 10 seasons at Man City – during which he won six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, two FA Cups and five EFL Cups – Kevin De Bruyne said his goodbyes at the end of the season.
The Belgian was twice named Premier League Player of the Season among a host of other individual awards and achievements.
Former England goalkeeper Scott Carson has also departed after six years, last making an appearance off the bench in a UEFA Champions League tie against Portuguese side Sporting in March 2022.
Manchester United
The hugely experienced trio of Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof have all left Old Trafford ahead of a summer of expected high turnover at the club.
Denmark midfielder Eriksen scored on his 108th and last appearance for the club against Aston Villa on the final day of last season. Lindelof and Evans also featured, registering their 284th and 241st appearances, respectively.
Lindelof had spent eight years at the club, while Evans returned for a second period in 2023.
Tom Heaton is also included on the list of departees, although the goalkeeper remains in discussions over a new deal.
Newcastle United
Northern Ireland full-back Jamal Lewis has left the club after spending the last two seasons on loan at Watford and Brazilian side Sao Paulo.
Newcastle have also confirmed they are in discussions with striker Callum Wilson and goalkeeper John Ruddy over new deals. Wilson has scored 49 times in 130 appearances since joining from Bournemouth in 2020.
Nottingham Forest
The biggest name to depart Forest ahead of their European return is Harry Toffolo, who leaves after three seasons.
The defender’s only goal for the club came in a 1-1 draw against Wolves in 2023, meaning he has now scored in each of England’s top four divisions.
Southampton
Adam Lallana’s playing time at Southampton looks to be over after his release, although the veteran may yet remain at the club in a coaching capacity on their return to the Championship.
Lallana made 283 appearances for the club over two spells, and had a period as player-assistant manager at the back end of last season.
Joining him among departures are Kyle Walker-Peters, who played 202 times for Saints after joining in 2020, and goalkeeper Joe Lumley.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have said farewell to two goalkeepers in Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman. Forster spent three seasons in north London, playing 34 times, while Whiteman came through the academy, making a solitary first-team appearance in the UEFA Europa League in 2020.
Also leaving is full-back Sergio Reguilon, who – following loan spells at Atletico Madrid, Man Utd and Brentford – made an unexpected return to the first team last season during Spurs’ injury crisis.
West Ham United
Five winners of the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League have left West Ham, as the club look to move into a new era under head coach Graham Potter.
Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings and Kurt Zouma made more than 900 West Ham appearances between them, with Cresswell departing after 11 seasons in the Premier League with the club – the longest unbroken career in the competition of any West Ham player.
Michail Antonio’s expired contract means he is also included on the list of free transfers, but the club confirmed there will be no formal decision taken on his future "until such time that it is considered right and appropriate". The forward has not played for West Ham since being seriously injured in a road traffic accident in December.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Craig Dawson and Pablo Sarabia are both leaving Wolves after two-and-a-half seasons with the club.
The pair arrived in the same transfer window, in winter 2023. Sarabia scored eight goals in 77 appearances, twice winning Wolves’ Goal of the Season award, while Dawson played 61 times for the club.
Watch Sarabia score Wolves' 23/24 Goal of the Season v Spurs