The CIES Football Observatory released a new list of the most expensive players today and there are a few surprises at the top of the list. Among the top 100 players in the big five leagues of Europe, as many as 42 are from the Premier League itself.
Criteria: The approach used to determine each player’s value in the transfer market is based on a number of variables such as goals scored, the number of minutes played, the player’s age, the length of his current contract and other factors such as the clubs they play for and clubs looking to sign the player.
Here are the top 10 players in the market today.
10) Eden Hazard – €101.5m
Club: Chelsea
Age: 26
Contract ends: 2020
The Belgian playmaker made headlines when he announced his decision to move to the European champions in 2012 and has gone from strength to strength in the years that followed. Barring the blip that was the 2015/16 season, he has quickly become one of the finest Premier League imports and is still sought after by a number of clubs.
However, he is yet to win major titles on a consistent basis. With only a Premier League title as his biggest achievement so far with the Blues in five seasons, he is still a long way from reaching his peak.
Though he has won the Player of the Season award, a lot more is expected from Hazard and he seems to have found his scoring boots again this season. Chelsea are currently in the lead and a second Premier League title will only see his stock rise.
9) Dele Alli – €110.5m
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 20
Contract ends: 2022
Alli took the Premier League by storm last season when the teenager scored 10 goals for Spurs. This season, he has already reached that mark in a little over half the number of games and he also has his own chant to rival the one dedicated to one of their north London neighbour’s biggest star – Mesut Ozil.
Last season’s performances saw him rewarded with the PFA Young Player of the Year award and he has caught the eye of top clubs around Europe. Real Madrid are reportedly targeting the youngster and Spurs will find it hard to reject any offers.
However, they will have the upper hands in the negotiations thanks to the length of Alli’s contract. But Mauricio Pochettino will not want to lose such a valuable asset and Alli would also be wise to not make a move yet unless he prefers the bench.
8) Paulo Dybala – €113.8m
Club: Juventus
Age: 23
Contract ends: 2020
The diminutive Argentine forward shot to fame when the youngster scored 13 goals and grabbed 10 assists with Palermo in the 2014/15 season, leading to bids from a number of clubs. Juventus won the race and brought him to Turin for a fee of €32m that could rise to €40m with add-ons.
So it is a massive leap for him to now be rated over €100m and shows just how far he has come in the one-and-a-half seasons with The Old Lady. However, he has found minutes hard to come by with a star-studded forward lineup of Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic above him in the pecking order.
Dybala has the ability to play anywhere across the forward line and it is no wonder then that clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester United are after him. But word is that he will extend his contract at the club, though.
7) Cristiano Ronaldo – €126.5m
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 31
Contract ends: 2021
Once upon a time, Cristiano Ronaldo was the most expensive player in world football. Not anymore. The transfers of Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba have seen to that in recent years. But Ronaldo’s records with Real Madrid will not be broken for a long time to come.
No player in the modern game, barring Lionel Messi, comes close to the goal scoring rate of the Portuguese winger-turned-forward. Even though he is now on the wrong side of 30, he still scores more goals than most forwards playing at their peak.
With over 500 goals scored so far in his career, he has shown no signs of slowing down (he has averaged more than 55 goals per season in the past six seasons). With more than four years left on his contract (and a supposed €1 billion release clause), he looks set to finish his career at the Bernabeu.
6) Harry Kane – €139.2m
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 23
Contract ends: 2022
Harry Kane’s rise to superstardom has been a story not seen in England since Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene. The Spurs striker was initially behind the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado but soon benched them both as Pochettino trusted the young English striker to hold his own among the Premier League elite.
In the last two seasons, Kane has averaged 30 goals per season (in all competitions) and even scooped up the Golden Boot award last season. And he is one player Spurs will refuse to sell.
However, that has not stopped the likes of Manchester United and even arch-rivals Arsenal to make inquiries. United may yet convince him if Spurs fail to progress. A move to Arsenal, on the other hand, will see him become a hated figure just like Sol Campbell.
5) Luis Suarez – €145.2m
Club: FC Barcelona
Age: 29
Contract ends: 2021
One of the most controversial players in recent years, Luis Suarez seems to have finally found a place where he belongs in the most-feared attacking lineup in the world. Having courted trouble at Ajax and Liverpool, the move to Barcelona has seen a different Suarez and converted him into a player with an appetite for only goals (and nothing else).
The Uruguayan striker was the final piece of the puzzle for Barcelona and he fit in seamlessly into the role of both goalscorer and creator with Neymar and Messi on either side. While his first season saw him score 25 goals, he grabbed the league by its collar in 2015/16 and scored 59 goals in all competitions (including 40 in La Liga).
Barcelona recently extended his contract and Suarez looks set to play a few more years in Spain. Having settled in with his family, he will not be interested in a move to any other club and that is why prising away from the Camp Nou is next to impossible at the moment.
4) Antoine Griezmann – €150.4m
Club: Atletico Madrid
Age: 25
Contract ends: 2021
No player will like finishing runners-up more than Antoine Griezmann last season. The French striker lost the Champions League final and the Euro 2016 final followed by losing out on the UEFA Best Player in Europe to Ronaldo.
The Atletico Madrid star has been constantly deflecting a barrage of questions on his future with the Rojiblancos and a move seems almost inevitable considering the vast resources at the disposal of a number of top clubs. Just like his move from Real Sociedad to Atletico Madrid, a move to a bigger club may just be around the corner.
Griezmann averaged 28 goals per season in the last two campaigns and is Diego Simeone’s go-to man even when he doesn’t start games. Fernando Torres is not getting any younger while the older Kevin Gameiro is still adapting. Losing Griezmann will see Atletico fall further behind the top two unless they get a like-for-like replacement.
3) Paul Pogba – €155.3m
Club: Manchester United
Age: 23
Contract ends: 2021
Currently, the most expensive player in the world, Pogba is only the third most valuable player on this list. His unbelievable price tag was more a matter of circumstances rather than his actual worth. Juventus knew Manchester United were flush with money and milked the Old Trafford club for every penny for a player they themselves signed for next to nothing but a small tribunal fee.
The French midfielder has immense potential and proved he could play in a variety of midfield roles for both Juventus and France before his move back to the Premier League. His stamina, passing range and ability on the ball are his key attributes and Jose Mourinho believes he will soon wear the captain’s armband at Manchester United.
Still only 23, Pogba has a long way to go. As long as Mourinho is in the hot seat, there is no way Pogba will leave Old Trafford. And the price tag may even make Chinese clubs think twice.
2) Lionel Messi – €170.5m
Club: FC Barcelona
Age: 29
Contract ends: 2018
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner... Top goalscorer in La Liga... Most goals in a calendar year... The records tumble one after the other and the Argentine forward now has so many to his name that football can be now divided into two eras – Before Messi and After Messi.
No player has dominated club football in the manner Messi has in the past decade or so. And we may never see one like him again for years to come. Most players now burdened with the “next Messi” tag fade into oblivion while Messi simply raises the bar. Even in the years Barcelona struggled (relative to their success under Pep Guardiola i.e.), it was a half-fit Messi that carried the team.
But extending his contract is now Barcelona’s biggest priority. Without the necessary funds, the Catalan club may have to offload one or two other squad players. With a contract that ends next season, they will want to wrap up a new deal before this season ends or they risk losing their most valuable asset for next year – for free!
1) Neymar Jr – €246.8m
Club: FC Barcelona
Age: 24
Contract ends: 2021
Destined for greatness when he was still a teenager tearing it up in Brazil, Neymar Jr now finds himself the most valuable player in Europe. With a release clause of €250m, it is perhaps one release clause that is actually a sensible price and proves how valuable he is to Barcelona.
Though his father (who is also his agent) has flirted with numerous clubs such as cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain and alluded to the tax fraud case in Spain as a sign of an impending exit, Barcelona stood by their star and extended his contract last summer.
At 24, he is already fifth in the list of Brazil’s all-time top goalscorers. Although he went through a goal drought this season, there is no question that Barcelona see him as the future post-Messi. And there is nothing they will do to put his career at the club in jeopardy.
