The summer transfer market is already being shaped by players whose previous clubs proved unable or unwilling to keep them when their contracts were expiring.
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, James Milner, Danny Ings and Glen Johnson have all moved on this summer and the window next year will be no different.
As a host of players enter the final year of their deals, coveted footballers can find themselves in an even more enviable position when they are able to enter the market without requiring a fee. For some it offers an opportunity but for others it may be a problem as their career prospects deteriorate.
It is decision time for managers, chairmen and chief executives: renew a player's deal or sell him before he leaves on a free.
A large group now enters the last 12 months of their current deals and their futures could provide a sub-plot to the season at every club.
ARSENAL
Out of contract in 2016: Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Lukas Podolski, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott.
Walcott represents the key figure. Arsene Wenger is confident the England international will stay but Arsenal have lost a series of players on free transfers such as Bacary Sagna, Andrei Arshavin and Sol Campbell. Given his value, Walcott's loss would be the biggest blow. Arsenal seem intent on selling Podolski as soon as possible to give them some return on their investment in the German. The ageing trio of Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky, meanwhile, face a fight to prove they merit extensions to their current deals.
ASTON VILLA
Out of contract in 2016: Leandro Bacuna, Nathan Baker, Joe Bennett, Ciaran Clark, Joe Cole, Gary Gardner, Shay Given, Nicklas Helenius, Charles N'Zogbia, Kieran Richardson, Callum Robinson and Philippe Senderos.
Tim Sherwood is prone to bold statements and he has the chance to make another next summer with 12 players entering the final year of their contracts. The home-grown defenders Clark and Baker have the strongest cases to stay, despite Sherwood's signing of Micah Richards. Villa will never recoup the £10 million they spent on N'Zogbia and in many cases, this list is an indictment of Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert's recruitment.
BOURNEMOUTH
Out of contract in 2016: Ryan Allsop, Lee Camp, Steve Cook, Ryan Fraser, Yann Kermorgant, Shaun MacDonald, Marc Pugh, Elliott Ward and Stephane Zubar.
The challenge is twofold -- for Bournemouth to stay up and for their players to prove they are Premier League performers. midfielder Pugh, who chipped in with nine goals last season, may be the man that manager Eddie Howe is keenest to keep, though centre-back Cook was an ever-present in their promotion campaign. Striker Kermorgant proved prolific in the championship but is unproven at the higher level. Howe may not need to rush a decision on him.
CHELSEA
Out of contract in 2016: Andreas Christensen, Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry.
Ivanovic represents the only concern. Keeping arguably the Premier League's best right-back should be a major priority for Jose Mourinho, whose major players tend to be secured to long-term deals. Terry is an exception but the centre-back turns 35 in December and Chelsea's policy of giving him one-year contracts has worked so far. But the sense is the ball is in the club's court and Chelsea need not worry about their captain leaving.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Out of contract in 2016: Barry Bannan, Marouane Chamakh, Damien Delaney, Adlene Guedioura, Brede Hangeland, Adrian Mariappa, Patrick McCarthy and Julian Speroni.
Veterans Speroni and Hangeland have recently signed one-year contract extensions. They, like the experienced Delaney, have little resale value so manager Alan Pardew can afford to delay decisions on their futures. The immediate questions may concern striker Chamakh. Injury meant he has missed much of Pardew's reign but as he will be 32 next summer, the former Arsenal player would not command a sizeable fee regardless of his contract.
EVERTON
Out of contract in 2016: Darron Gibson, Tony Hibbert, Arouna Kone, Kevin Mirallas, Leon Osman, Bryan Oviedo and Steven Pienaar.
The mercurial Mirallas, whose talents mean he has attracted attention from other clubs, is the crucial figure but as Everton have the option to extend his deal for a further year, they are not at immediate risk of losing a winger worth at least £10 million on a free transfer. Nevertheless, a cash-conscious club should ensure they are suitably compensated if he is sold. Others entering the final 12 months of their deals are either injury-prone, in their 30s or both. Pienaar considered retirement last season and Gibson may find himself further down the pecking order after Tom Cleverley's signing but the clever Osman should be able to make enough of an impact to trigger an extension.
LEICESTER CITY
Out of contract in 2016: David Nugent, Mark Schwarzer and Marcin Wasilewski.
Defender Wasilewski will be 36 next summer and Nugent, Leicester's top scorer in their promotion season and a useful squad player last year, is past his prime.
LIVERPOOL
Out of contract in 2016: Sebastian Coates, Jose Enrique, Jon Flanagan, Rickie Lambert, Javier Manquillo (loan), Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure and Samed Yesil.
There is no Gerrard-type situation here. Skrtel is expected to sign a new deal shortly and Coates is set to join Sunderland. After Liverpool have added strikers to their squad, the probability is that Lambert will be gone before the season starts, too. Logically, the injury-hit Enrique and the 34-year-old Toure are entering the last years of their Anfield careers, with lengthier stays unlikely. Nathaniel Clyne's arrival suggests Manquillo will spend the second season of his loan as a back-up. Only Flanagan represents an issue but he is unlikely to attract too many bids in the short term as he works back to full fitness.
MANCHESTER CITY
Out of contract in 2016: Martin Demichelis, Richard Wright, Jason Denayer and Marcos Lopes.
City's policy of committing their key players to long-term contracts means there are few problems, except those caused by giving underachieving squad members lengthy and lucrative deals. The most significant contract expiring in 2016 is that of manager Manuel Pellegrini.
His ally Martin Demichelis earned a one-year extension with his form last season but is 35 in December and it would be a surprise if he remained to play for the Chilean's successor. Centre-back Denayer and winger Lopes should be in the squad this season but as both are under 24, City would be entitled to compensation if either leaves next summer.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Out of contract in 2016: Michael Carrick, David De Gea, Jonny Evans, Javier Hernandez, Angelo Henriquez, Anders Lindegaard, Nick Powell, Rafael da Silva, Victor Valdes, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young.
Few have more major decisions to make or risk losing as much. Those who could leave for nothing next summer cost around £100 million in lost transfer fees which would represent a significant blow even for a club of United's wealth. If the world's top clubs can console themselves with the thought that their players are unlikely to get a better offer, David De Gea is the exception. If he is to join Real Madrid, the dilemma for United is when and if they get compensated. Van Persie's future depends, in part, on his family and his international ambitions, as well as the question of whether United can replace him. The chances are that they would prefer to sell Evans, Hernandez, Powell and Rafael while they can recoup a fee but Young is likely to follow Phil Jones in signing a new deal. The long-serving and loyal Carrick, who put pen to paper on a one-year deal in March and is 35 next year, represents the least of their worries.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Out of contract in 2016: Rolando Aarons, Mehdi Abeid, Fabricio Coloccini, Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Steven Taylor, Haris Vuckic, Mike Williamson.
There could be an exodus with all three senior centre-backs entering the final year of their deals. Given Coloccini's age (34 in February) and Williamson's form, Steven Taylor's contract may be the only worry. Talks with the highly rated Aarons reportedly broke down and Newcastle should prioritise in keeping the winger. Abeid apart, the others are players who have not fulfilled their potential or featured regularly. Obertan probably needs to perform better than he has if he is to stay at St James' Park.
NORWICH CITY
Out of contract in 2016: Sebastian Bassong, Elliott Bennett, Gary Hooper, Gary O'Neil, Alexander Tettey, Michael Turner and Steven Whittaker.
Norwich's progress under Alex Neil has been so swift it is unsurprising they are yet to determine the futures of some players. Much, of course, depends on which division they are competing in during 2016-17, but Bassong and Hooper are two of the most expensive players in Norwich's history and they surely would not want to write off the money spent on both. Defender Bassong came in from the cold to become a key man for Neil. Full-back Whittaker was another along with Tettey -- Norwich have the option to extend the midfielder's deal for 12 months -- and logically they are the trio Neil would be keenest to keep. The prognosis for Turner and Bennett may be bleaker. A sale this summer may suit Norwich.
SOUTHAMPTON
Out of contract in 2016: Kelvin Davis, Paulo Gazzaniga and Gaston Ramirez.
One way or another, Southampton will lose a lot of money on their former record signing Ramirez. The £12 million Uruguayan spent last season on loan at Hull, where he failed to impress as City were relegated, and does not seem to form part of Ronald Koeman's plans. The chances are that Saints would accept any offer for Ramirez now. Back-up goalkeepers Davis and Gazzaniga have dropped down the pecking order with the loan signing of Maarten Stekelenburg to cover for the injured Fraser Forster. It is a sign that come next season, there may only be room for one at St Mary's.
STOKE CITY
Out of contract in 2016: Asmir Begovic, Jamie Ness, Steven N'Zonzi, Steve Sidwell and Marc Wilson.
The perils for the overachieving mid-table team are illustrated. Begovic and N'Zonzi are two of Stoke's finest signings in recent seasons but now they may have to cash in on both, rather than lose them for nothing in 2016. Stoke set the tone for the goalkeeper's departure by offering Jack Butland a new deal and buying Jakob Haugaard; midfielder N'Zonzi has turned down offers of an extended deal. The experienced Sidwell, a bit-part player last season, enters the second season of his contract while Wilson has been in and out of the team under Mark Hughes but Philipp Wollscheid's signing could spell the end of his time as a regular.
SUNDERLAND
Out of contract in 2016: Wes Brown, Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham, Adam Johnson, Vito Mannone and Charis Mavrias.
The club record signing Fletcher and Johnson cost a combined £22 million in 2012. Now, though both remain in their 20s, neither has retained his value. The striker's form has dried up and the winger has been inconsistent. Yet Sunderland would write off a lot of money if they were to lose all seven out-of-contract players. The imperative should be to keep Cattermole, who has been the most influential in Dick Advocaat's reign. Graham earned a surprise reprieve but his lamentable scoring record suggests it was a short-term move. Brown has tended to be an automatic choice during his four seasons on Wearside but will be nearing his 37th birthday when his current deal expires.
SWANSEA CITY
Out of contract in 2016: Michu and Dwight Tiendalli.
Michu seemed to have a £25 million price on his head after his superb debut campaign in Wales. After a subdued second season and a forgettable year on loan at Napoli in Serie A, Swansea must be regretting their reluctance to cash in on him in 2013. Now their challenge is to recoup as much money as possible for the Spaniard -- they have admitted he is unlikely to play for the club again. Tiendalli's time on the bench, let alone in the team, was effectively ended by the January arrival of Kyle Naughton.
TOTTENHAM
Out of contract in 2016: Emmanuel Adebayor, Tom Carroll, Aaron Lennon, Younes Kaboul, Alex Pritchard and Jan Vertonghen.
Vertonghen is the only regular starter whose deal expires next summer, but as Spurs have an option for a further two years, that should not provoke panic at White Hart Lane. England U21 international Pritchard excelled on loan at Brentford last season and will get a chance to secure his long-term future. The others do not appear to figure in manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans. The ideal scenario for Tottenham would be to sell them now and free up funds, or if no buyers are found, to at least get Adebayor's sizeable salary off the wage bill. That said, the Togolese tends to be at his best when he is playing for a new contract.
WATFORD
Out of contract in 2016: Almen Abdi, Ikechi Anya, Cristian Battochio, Jonathan Bond, Craig Cathcart, Joel Ekstrand, Lewis McGugan and Daniel Tozser.
As the Hornets have the option to keep Tozser for a further year, securing midfielders Abdi and Anya could top the to-do list. Yet Watford's unique ownership structure -- the Pozzo family also control Udinese and Granada -- tends to mean they have a ready supply of players from other clubs and some contracts are unusual as some veer between their three ventures.
WEST BROM
Out of contract in 2016: Joleon Lescott, Gareth McAuley, James Morrison, Boaz Myhill, Jonas Olsson, Stephane Sessegnon and Claudio Yacob.
Albion's model tends to involve short-term deals so they are not committed to paying sizeable sums to unwanted figures. As a result, they often have plenty of players whose deals expire in a summer. Lescott and McAuley are a dependable first-choice centre-back partnership but they will turn 34 and 37, respectively, in 2016 so neither has much transfer-market value.
WEST HAM UNITED
Out of contract in 2016: Adrian, James Collins, Modibo Maiga, Kevin Nolan and Joey O'Brien.
As Slaven Bilic surveys his inheritance, this is a microcosm of Sam Allardyce's legacy. There is one excellent recruit in goalkeeper Adrian and one terrible one in the impotent forward Maiga. There is a no-nonsense centre-half, in Collins, and two long-term Allardyce allies in O'Brien and Nolan. It is hard to imagine any manager other than Allardyce offering Nolan a deal in the Premier League now, but his huge wages mean Bilic may be lumbered with the lumpen captain.