A run-down of European football’s most valuable players.
The market value of 20 of Europe’s top players, according to research done by the CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland.
20. Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Technically valued at between £31.6 and £36.7million, Luis Suarez has just had a breakthrough season for Liverpool, lighting up the Premier League with some superb displays and scoring 30 goals in all competitions for the club. Although he is known for being a controversial character, and got himself in trouble again for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during a match at Anfield, he is still rated as one of the best players in the world. He is arguably reaching his peak now, and this makes him a highly valuable player to the Reds, who could receive a bid of as much as £50million for him from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
19. Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)
One of the bargains of the season has to be Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, who joined the Gunners for between £12 and £15million, but whose influence on the team this season has seen his market value rise to between £31.7 and £36.8million this summer. The talented Spaniard is another player at the height of his game, and is certainly the heartbeat of this current Arsenal side, scoring 12 goals and providing 12 assists of the highest quality to help Arsene Wenger’s side to fourth place.
18. Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich)
A product of Bayern Munich’s youth system, the club have never had to pay a big transfer fee to sign Thomas Mueller, though his rise over the last few years would supposedly see him command offers of around £32.7 to £38.1million. The 23-year-old has many more years at the top and is already one of the best attacking midfield players in the world, proving highly influential as Bayern Munich swept aside all before them this season to win the treble.
17. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
Perhaps a somewhat surprising player to make the list, given his unspectacular defensive game, but Barcelona and Spain have benefited greatly from the simple but brilliant work done by Sergio Busquets in midfield. The Spaniard breaks up play and allows other players to shine, perfecting the so-called ‘Makelele role’ and apparently making himself a £33.1 to £38.4million-valued player.
16. Robin van Persie (Manchester United)
Robin van Persie’s move from Arsenal to Manchester United has seen him cement his place as one of the world’s best strikers, as his goal-getting ability in a better team have helped secure a Premier League title. Despite turning 30 later this summer, he is in the form of his career, and is now worth around £33.5 to £38.9million, more than the £24million United paid for him last summer, though his current commitment to a long-term contract is one of the factors in that rise.
15. Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona)
The former Arsenal star may not be at his influential best at Barcelona, but he is still a game-changing player, and finally a league champion after helping Barcelona topple Real Madrid in La Liga this year. The 26-year-old is also a World Cup and two-time European Championship winner with the all-conquering Spanish national team, and these fine achievements make him a £34.4 to £40million player in today’s market.
14. Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Another Barcelona and Spain midfield star, Andres Iniesta is arguably the finest in the world in his position, and has added yet another title win to his vast collection of medals. His value will have shot up ever since he scored Spain’s winner in the 2010 World Cup final, and although Barcelona have never paid a transfer fee for him due to his rise from their famous La Masia youth system, he is said to be worth around £35 to £40.7million by CIES’s estimations.
13. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Another member of Spain’s golden generation, and also a long-serving key player at Real Madrid is defender Sergio Ramos. When he joined the Bernabeu club from Sevilla for £23million, he came the most expensive Spanish teenager in history. 352 appearances, 41 goals, and three La Liga titles later, he would now command a transfer fee of around £35.2 to £40.9million, and is the only defender to make the top 20 of this list. His closest competitors are his Spain team-mate Gerard Pique, who came 23rd, and PSG and Brazil star Thiago Silva, who came 30th.
12. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema has been one of the game’s best strikers ever since he first emerged as a youngster for his old side Lyon. His fine form at the time persuaded Real Madrid to pay around £30million for him, with possible add-ons rising to £35million. He has not disappointed in his time in Spain, scoring 89 goals in four seasons with the club, including an excellent season in 2011/12, where his 32 strikes helped the club to the La Liga title. After a slight dip in form this season, he has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United, who may get him for £25million, which would be something of a bargain according to this list, as his estimated market value should be between £35.4 and £41.1million.
11. Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich)
After an excellent few years at Borussia Dortmund, Mario Goetze will become Germany’s most expensive player this summer when he joins rivals Bayern Munich for £33million. This price tag was determined by a release clause in his contract, but had Dortmund been able to negotiate a new deal for him, they would have been able to command more like £41.6million, as his youth means he has many, many years at the top level yet. Already one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, he will surely only improve in this all-conquering Bayern Munich side.
10. David Silva (Manchester City)
David Silva first made a name for himself for La Liga side Valencia, but has really come into his own as a world class player since joining Manchester City in 2010. This talented Spaniard is very much in the Andres Iniesta mould, and his superb possession and passing stats make him a crucial player for both City and the Spanish national team. He has played his part in Spain’s dominance on the world and European stage, scoring the opener last summer in their 4-0 win over Italy in the final of Euro 2012, which came after he starred in City’s thrilling Premier League title win. His form and trophy collection make him worth around £37 to £42.9million.
9. Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
Although Gareth Bale’s value could rise enormously this summer with bids of £85million being rumoured to be coming in from Real Madrid and PSG, his current market value is supposedly much lower, though still putting him up there with the best in the world. He has no doubt been in fantastic form for Spurs this season, but his lack of silverware and his playing in a team that does not compete in the Champions League sees him worth between £37 and £43million. This could soon change, but at the moment this is his true value as a player in today’s market.
8. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney could leave Manchester United this summer after an excellent nine years with the club. The former Everton star arrived as one of the most expensive teenagers of all time when he joined for £28million in 2004, but he is now unhappy at Old Trafford after being played out of position for much of this season. Still, the big clubs chasing him shows that he is still a player with world class ability, and he will likely command a big fee from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and other interested clubs. His true market value is supposedly between £38.3 and £44.5million, so United would be wise to hold out for a big offer, even if they are dealing with an unhappy player.
7. Mario Balotelli (AC Milan)
Mario Balotelli may not have had the best time in the Premier League with Manchester City, but he has shown his world class ability since moving and settling back in Italy with AC Milan. His 12 goals in 13 games since joining the club in January helped fire the club up the table to a Champions League place, and he has continued to play well with the Italian national team. This makes him a player worth between £38.7 and £45million, a big increase on the fee paid by Milan to City for him this January, which was just £17million.
6. Radamel Falcao (Monaco)
Although Radamel Falcao is arguably one of the best strikers in the world at the moment after his fantastic displays for Atletico Madrid, the CIES report would suggest that French club Monaco have paid slightly over the odds for the Colombian, who joined for £51million this summer. Supposedly, Falcao’s true market value is between £39.4 and £45.7million, which may be due to the fact that the only notable silverware won in his career is the Europa League. Still, Monaco can certainly afford to pay a little extra with the backing of their wealthy Russian owner, and they won’t be overly concerned after beating the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid to a world class goal-scorer.
5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
The scorer of that famous last-gasp title-winning goal for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero definitely seems like a player who deserves his place among the world’s most valuable players. The Argentine has already moved for big money twice in his career so far, joining Atletico Madrid for £19million as a youngster, and later City for around £35million. Still only 25, Aguero has 171 career goals at club level, as well as 18 in 45 appearances for the Argentina national team. This now makes him worth between £41.3 and £47.9million.
4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
One of the most highly-rated and in-demand young players in the world for some time, Eden Hazard finally made a keenly-anticipated move to Chelsea from Lille last summer for £27million. He has since shown his ability to perform on the biggest stage, earning himself a nomination for PFA Young Player of the Year after an excellent season of 13 goals and 14 assists in all competitions. Real Madrid and Barcelona have shown an interest in him before, but would now have to pay between £47.2 and £54.8million for him, as his value has shot up in the last year.
3. Edinson Cavani (Napoli)
Napoli striker Edinson Cavani is likely to move for big money this summer as the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid circle, but he may end up moving for lower than his true market value, due to his minimum release fee clause of £53.5million. This would still make him one of the most expensive players of all time, but supposedly he is worth as much as £57.6million due to his current stats and potential for improvement in a bigger side.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer of all time when he joined Real Madrid from Manchester United for £80million in 2009, and he has only enhanced his reputation further during his time in Spain, scoring an incredible 201 goals in 199 games for the Bernabeu club. He is supposedly unsettled this summer and may beat his own record as he moves for around £100million to big-spenders PSG or Monaco. This would apparently be a fair reflection of his market value, which has risen as high as £100.9million.
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Certainly the best player in the world and perhaps the best of all time, Lionel Messi has been phenomenal for Barcelona over the last few years, scoring obscene amounts of goals to help them conquer La Liga and Europe. Although he is almost certainly not for sale at any price, he is regarded as being the most valuable player on the planet by far, and could command a transfer fee of between £184.8 and £214.7million. This is well ahead of anyone else on the list, and that is perhaps partly down to the fact that Barca would surely never sell him, highlighting his incredible importance and influence at the Nou Camp. Like Busquets and Iniesta, Barca have also never had to pay a transfer fee for him, showing that their youth academy is one of the best cost-effective ways of getting the best talent in the world.
Via Sporting Intelligence. Data as of June 1st, hence no inclusion of Neymar, who had not joined Barcelona by that time.