There is no money to sign new players. The vast majority of clubs are looking to sell existing players and acquire new ones on free transfers to balance their books and not exceed their spending cap. The problem is that there is a distinct lack of buyers, which is causing a bottleneck in the market. This is largely because investment from Saudi Arabia has dried up in pursuit of a strategy by which high salaries are paid, but not transfer fees. With the introduction of the new three-year TV deal, the Premier League has also capped its spending. More control but fewer transfers. 

Liverpool and Bayern have work to do. The contracts of players who have been regular starters over the last five years are up. Six of the ten highest-value players who are out of contract play for one of these two teams: Alexander Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk for Liverpool, and Sané, Kimmich and Alphonso Davies for Bayern. All could easily slot into a Champions League dream team and all are within reach of the giants of the game. 

Jonathan David – centre-forward for Lille – and Heung Min Son of Tottenham, as well as Kevin De Bruyne and Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah, make up the rest of the top ten. Other names to add to the mix and superstars of their day are Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. All three - one playing in the MLS and the other two in Saudi Arabia - are out of contract but, for the first time, are not being courted by Europe’s finest.