Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku has topped the charts in CIES Observatory’s football study analysing the increases in transfer values of players.
As reported by BBC Sport, the Belgian international joined the Red Devils for £75m in July, and he has certainly lived up to expectations with 11 goals in 10 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
The challenge for the 24-year-old will be to maintain that level and enjoy his most prolific campaign yet to fire Man Utd to silverware, but it seems as though his move to Old Trafford and subsequent form has already had a bearing on his valuation.
CIES have conducted a football study based on the scientific estimation of players’ transfer value. On July 1, they valued Lukaku at €102.7m. When re-valued on October 1, the former Everton man had increased to €158.5m. That’s a €55.8m upward push in the space of three months.
Further, that’s enough to see him top the charts in terms of enjoying the biggest increase of any player included in the study, and it just goes to show what the impact of joining Man Utd can do for you.
Marcus Rashford joins him in the top 10 with a €26.8m increase, while Paul Pogba makes the top 20 and would have likely enjoyed his biggest increase last season when he swapped Juventus for his former club.
Lukaku’s rise though is explained as being due to inflation, expensive transfers involving other teams, contract extensions and top level performances, which are all outlined as key criteria to reaching such findings.