Every football fan will know that clubs across the world far outpay a player’s valuation to secure him on a long-term – or sometimes even short-term – deal, with prices continuing to inflate.
The CIES Football Observatory have calculated the estimated value of a player and compared it to transfer fee that he was sold at this summer.
They say, taking data from 2009-2014, that prices have inflated by 23%.
Their findings take on board the players age, his playing position, how long is left on his contract, his international status, his experience, and the standard at which he is competing at to reach their figure.
And the study has suggested that the Premier League have been perhaps the most naive – or desperate – in the summer transfer window, with no other top flight overpaying for talent more so than England’s top flight over the past few months.
Here are the top 20:
20. Yohan Cabaye – PSG to Crystal Palace
Reported fee: £10m
Estimated Value: £5.5m
19. Geoffrey Kondogbia – AS Monaco to Inter Milan
Reported fee: £22m
Estimated value: £17m
SEE MORE:
Five most important Arsenal players this season: Sanchez & Ozil joined by former Chelsea star
Five most important Chelsea players this season, with new signing & ex-Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas
18. Robert Brady – Hull City to Norwich City
Reported fee: £7m
Estimated value: £2.4m
17. Roberto Soldado – Tottenham Hotspur to Villarreal
Reported fee: £9m
Estimated value: £4m
16. Jordan Amavi – Nice to Aston Villa
Reported fee: £9.4m
Estimated value: £4.3m
15. Julian Draxler – Schalke to Vfl Wolfsburg
Reported fee: £21.8m
Estimated value: £16m
14. Paulo Dybala – Palermo to Juventus
Reported fee: £23.2m
Estimated value: £17m
13. James Chester – Hull City to West Brom
Reported fee: £8.2m
Estimated value: £1.9m
12. Adama Traore – Lille to AS Monaco
Reported fee: £10.2m
Estimated value: £3.2m
11. Morgan Schneiderlin – Southampton to Manchester United
Reported fee: £24.7m
Estimated value: £17.3m
10. Ivan Perisic – Vfl Wolfsburg to Inter Milan
Reported fee: £13m
Estimated value: £5.2m
9. Petr Cech – Chelsea to Arsenal
Reported fee: £10.9m
Estimated value: £2.6m
8. Aymen Abdennour – AS Monaco to Valencia
Reported fee: £18.1m
Estimated value: £9.4m
7. Alessio Romagnoli – AS Roma to AC Milan
Reported fee: £18.1m
Estimated value: £9.2m
6. Nicolas Otamendi – Valencia to Manchester City
Reported fee: £29m
Estimated value: £19m
5. Arda Turan – Atletico Madrid to Barcelona
Reported fee: £24.7m
Estimated value: £13.6m
4. Angel Di Maria – Manchester United to PSG
Reported fee: £45.7m
Estimated value: £34.6m
3. Christian Benteke – Aston Villa to Liverpool
Reported fee: £33.4m
Estimated value: £19.1m
2. Kevin De Bruyne – Vfl Wolfsburg to Manchester City
Reported fee: £53.7m
Estimated value: £34.4m
1. Anthony Martial – AS Monaco to Manchester United
Reported fee: £36.3m
Estimated value: £16m
