Nine out of 10 of the football players who have increased their market value the most in the past three months have moved to a new club during the summer transfer window. Ivorian Nicolas Pépé sits at the top of this list, after gaining almost EUR 25 million in market value since his transfer in the summer from Lille to Arsenal, while the top six players could boost their values by almost EUR 20 million each. Four of the top 10 players are under 21 years of age, the youngest one being Italian forward Kean (19), who is 7th in our ranking.
With the closing of the 2019 summer transfer period, the KPMG Football Benchmark team have released their updated market value estimates for over 4,800 football players from 12 leagues based on their latest sporting statistics provided by Opta. The estimates cover footballers who played in the 2018/19 season in the first divisions of Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, as well as the EFL Championship. It is important to note that the market value estimates provided are only comparable to fixed transfer fees and do not take into account performance-based bonuses that could be part of a potential player transfer fee.
Regarding the top 10 players with the highest increase in their market value, the English Premier League is represented by the most players (7), followed by the Spanish LaLiga (2) and the Italian Serie A (just one). Two of the top 10 players are English, French and Spanish, respectively – also proof of the efficiency of the academy infrastructures nurturing young talents in these countries.
The top 10 includes four players under the age of 21, while the rest are older than 24. Spanish goalkeeper De Gea is the oldest among them (28), and the only one in the top 10 who did not change his club this summer – his recent contract extension with Manchester United until 2023 with an option for a further year led to a gain of EUR 19 million in his market value.
The chart below shows the top 10 increases in market value (in absolute terms) since 1 July 2019.
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Interestingly, French star Antoine Griezmann is also listed in the “top 10 by absolute market value”, with a value of over EUR 130 million. This ranking is much more stable, with the Barcelona forward overtaking his national teammate Pogba as the 8th most valuable player in our ranking, and the Manchester United midfielder has also been leapfrogged by Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
The chart below shows the composition of the overall top 10.
In the top 10, only Griezmann and Hazard have completed a transfer recently. The Belgian playmaker joined Real Madrid from Chelsea for a fee of EUR 100 million, while Griezmann moved to Barcelona after the Blaugrana paid his release clause of EUR 120 million to Atlético Madrid.
You can find more information on these players’ market value on the KPMG Football Benchmark website – our Player Valuation Tool includes data on more than 4,800 players from 12 different leagues. Launched in September 2018, and based on KPMG proprietary algorithms, this analytics platform enables industry stakeholders to take informed decisions about the subject of player valuation through the following features:
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Market values for more than 4,800 players, covering the first divisions from the following eleven countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, as well as the EFL Championship; |
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Detailed sports performance metrics for each player for the ongoing season (2018/19) as well as for the previous two seasons (2016/17 & 2017/18); |
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Comparison of selected players’ market value and sporting performance, allowing for evaluation and a deeper understanding of market value components; |
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Ability to analyse the drivers of market value (e.g. age, position, league, nationality, etc.) in an interactive and dynamic fashion; |
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Evolution of market values in comparison with the latest values (as of 1 September 2018) based on market dynamics and ongoing transfers. |
For more insight on the platform itself and the players' market values, visit our website and follow our social media channels for the latest updates.
