Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Alcantara and the best 2024 free agents who can start negotiating free transfers

It's negotiation time.

The January transfer window is an admittedly funny time in football. Big deals tend to dry up, and with the Saudi Pro League season already in full swing, it's unlikely that there will be any huge Middle Eastern ventures in the next 30 days.

Instead, it's often a month rife with speculation, especially surrounding those few big names who could find themselves out of contract in the summer. Most players, of course, lock up new deals before that time comes; if they're good enough, their parent clubs will want to keep them around, or at least do something to ensure they don't leave for free.

This winter, the discussion will certainly, once again, surround the future of Kylian Mbappe. The talk, in fact, has already begun. Real Madrid are supposedly in for the Frenchman once again, while PSG will certainly be reluctant to sell. Either way, it's one to watch.

And Mbappe isn't alone, either. A host of intriguing names could leave their clubs in the summer, and sort their future before the month ends. GOAL takes a look at some European stars who could negotiate their futures starting today...