Four Ghanaian stars available on a free transfer this summer

Ghanaian football is in a strange spot. On paper, the Black Stars have never had a better team. The likes of Thomas Partety, Mohammed Kudus, and Iñaki Williams are all leading lights for Arsenal, Ajax, and Athletic Bilbao respectively.

However, the recent performances of the West Africans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup left a lot to be desired. They finished bottom of a difficult-looking Group H last December, finishing below Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay. If we look further back than that, the Ghanaians didn’t even make it out of the group stages of the postponed Africa Cup of Nations last winter, suffering a shocking defeat at the hands of lowly Comoros to suffer a first-round elimination for the first time in 16 years.

That followed a run of six consecutive trips to the semifinals at the very least, a period considered to be a golden one in the history of Ghanaian football. Whether those glory days return in the years to come remains to be seen, and a reputable online sportsbook in Canada hasn’t yet priced up next winter’s AFCON championship. However, you can expect to see Ghana listed as one of the favorites for glory once the competition gets underway in the Ivory Coast. This will allow you to enjoy a vast array of betting options to root for your favorite Ghanian team.

For these four Ghanaians currently plying their trade in the Premier League though, their future is currently undecided. Stars of the English top-flight and prominent fixtures within the Black Stars setup, you would expect a number of Europe’s top clubs to be vying for their signature, especially with them being available on a free transfer. However, as things stand, these four Ghanaians are all out of contract in the summer and their future currently remains undecided.

Daniel Amartey - Leicester City

2016 Premier League champions Leicester City have endured a dismal season in the Premier League this term. They are currently riddled with relegation worries and are two points adrift of safety with just three games remaining. With that being said, it's no surprise that Ghana international defender Daniel Amartey doesn’t know where his future lies.

The 28-year-old started out as a first-choice defender for The Foxes at the start of the current campaign. Following a dismal run of five games without a win in the new year, Amartey was dropped from the first team, and he hasn’t had a look in since. He has featured just three times since the start of February and his season hit an all-time low on May 8th, when he was left out of Leicester’s squad altogether by new manager Dean Smith for their trip to Fulham.

Where the central defender ends up plying his trade next season remains to be seen. Tranfermarket currently values him at €15m and he would be quite the coup for a mid-table Premier League side, as well as mid-table sides in the rest of Europe’s top five leagues. But if he ends up with relegation on his CV, then his stock could tumble dramatically.

Jeffrey Schlupp - Crystal Palace

For a number of years, Jeffrey Schlupp was one of the most dangerous marauding left full-backs in the Premier League. A frightening mix of blistering speed and a wand of a left boot meant that goals and assists came in abundance. However, now at age 30, he finds himself out of the contract in the summer and his future is up in the air.

The former Leicester City man has been transformed into a midfielder somewhat this season and since Roy Hodgson has returned to take over the reins at Selhurst Park from former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, Schlupp has looked to be returning to somewhere near his best. He scored a crucial goal in The Eagles’ 4-3 victory against West Ham United at the end of April and his form has been crucial to seeing Palace steer themselves away from the dreaded drop zone.

Schlupp will turn 31 in December, meaning that this summer will probably be his final big-money contract. His transformation into a midfielder will help aid the longevity of his career as his pace begins to decline, but he still has plenty to offer. Don’t be surprised to see him sign a new deal at Selhurst Park, especially if former England boss Hodgson remains in charge beyond the end of the current campaign.

André & Jordan Ayew - Nott’m Forest and Crystal Palace

For years, the Ayew brothers were the stars of Ghanaian football. Sons of perhaps the greatest African player of all time Abedi Pele, the duo have flown the Black Stars flag higher than most over the last decade. However with André now aged 33 and Jordan aged 31, and with both being out of contract in the summer, who knows what the summer will hold for the pair?

For the elder of the Ayew brothers, he made a shock free transfer to newly promoted Nottingham Forest in February, signing a short-term deal in the hopes of leading the club away from the Premier League’s relegation zone. While the Tricky Trees look set to secure their top-flight status, Ayew has rarely featured, and he may well find his future away from the City Ground at the end of the current campaign.

Despite his lack of goals and assists, Jordan Ayew remains a key piece of the puzzle at Crystal Palace. He has featured in every single game the Eagles have played so far this term, starting all but three of them. Since Roy Hodgson took back over at the club, he has regularly played the full 90 minutes, and his link-up play has been crucial to the club securing their top-flight status once more.

It would be surprising to see him leave Selhurst Park, especially if Hodgson remains in charge. If he does, however, he will have plenty of potential suitors both in Europe and further afield.