Glen Johnson is one of the high-profile Premier League stars to become a free agent at the end of this campaign after Liverpool confirmed his departure in a statement.
The future of the former Portsmouth defender has been under a lot of speculation. Manager Brendan Rodgers has tried to call it on several occasions by stating that Johnson would stay at Anfield, but the much anticipated contract news never came. It is widely reported that Johnson was not happy with just one year being offered at Liverpool. The defender recently turned 31 and most Premier League clubs have a policy of not offering players about 30 with more than 12 months on their contracts.
This policy is likely to see the England international become one of the few players who have played their football in Turkey. Besiktas have emerged as the favourites to sign him on a free transfer. Rather than move to the North America or the Middle East where Johnson would have had a much bigger payday, the defender has reportedly chosen to join Besiktas where he is expected to get around € 2.3 million per season. This is significantly lower than his current contract and the one on offer from Liverpool. Johnson moved to Anfield in a £ 16 million deal from Portsmouth in 2009.
The former Chelsea defender failed to shine at Stamford Bridge, but he was widely praised for his attacking contributions at Liverpool. Towards the later years of his Liverpool career, Rodgers took advantage of his versatility and often played him at left back. Last season, Johnson was limited to only 28 appearances throughout the campaign and this was seen as a major sign that Liverpool had moved on from the defender. Roma were also looking to sign the player, but it looks like they have lost the race.