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The transfer window can be the most exciting time for a football club. Fans wait with bated breath to see which superstar will join their beloved club and elevate its standards. There have been several spectacular transfers in the world of football. With rich owners taking over top clubs across Europe, the transfer fee for players has gone through the roof.
Not all superstars are worth the big buck, however. While they may have taken the world by storm when they emerged, several reasons have contributed to their downfall in the transfer market.
Age and poor form are interlinking factors behind a player’s declining market value. In other cases, players may perform exceptionally well in one league but may falter in another. This again contributes to the decrease of stature in the market.
We now take a look at ten players who have seen a drastic fall in their market value.
#10 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic shone for Juventus during the four seasons he spent with the Bianconeri. He then made a move to Spain when Barcelona exchanged midfielder Arthur for a deal worth an initial €72 million. Miralem Pjanic moved in the opposite direction for a fee close to €60 million.
The deal was widely criticized as Arthur had shown glimpses of quality and was a promising prospect at Barcelona. Barca fans didn’t expect Arthur’s banishment under Quique Setien. To add to their frustration, Pjanic has been abysmal at Barcelona and has struggled to make an impact.
Pjanic’s market value dropped to €18 million from his earlier valuation of €50 million. He has been a ghost at Barcelona and was loaned out at the start of the season to Besiktas. Many believe the 31-year-old has thrown away the most crucial years of his life. With the likes of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong in Barca’s midfield, Pjanic doesn’t appear to have a future at the club.
#9 Roberto Firmino
While Firmino has never been known for an insane goalscoring rate, his work off the ball was a specialty under Jurgen Klopp. Unlike Mohamed Salah or Diogo Jota who can work individually, the Brazilian works best as a team player.
Firmino drops deeper to help with the link-up play and drags defenders out of position to open up space for teammates. On several occasions in previous seasons, this has helped the likes of Salah and Mane capitalize and score.
Firmino’s value has dropped from €72 million to €38 million. The 30-year-old has been sidelined in Liverpool’s squad of late due to the performances of Jota, who has 10 goals in the current season. Firmino’s pressing and defensive contributions have also decreased markedly over the past few seasons. Although his work off the ball has been commendable, scoring goals is still a necessary aspect if you are a centre-forward.
#8 Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez has been Atletico Madrid’s mainstay in midfield over the past several seasons. Saul began his career in their youth team where he spent four years. The Spaniard won La Liga, two Europa Leagues, one Spanish Cup, and one Super Cup with Atletico in the seven years he spent in their senior squad.
After a splendid end to the 2020-21 campaign, Saul was signed by Chelsea on a loan deal. He has hardly featured for the Blues this Premier League season, making just five appearances with a playing time of less than 180 minutes. He has started just two games for Thomas Tuchel.
Saul’s market value was €70 million but has now fallen to €35 million. Saul’s performances for Chelsea have drawn a lot of criticism and he has failed to make an impact. The Spaniard was unceremoniously taken off at halftime after poor performances in both of his Premier League starts.
#7 Clement Lenglet
Clement Lenglet’s performances in his first season at Barcelona seemed to solve the club's centre-back dilemma. With Gerrard Pique aging and Umtiti struggling, Lenglet seemed to be a stalwart in defense. However, poor performances spanning back to the 2019-20 season have depleted his confidence greatly.
According to WhoScored, Clement Lenglet was the only player in the 2020-21 season across the top five leagues to score an own goal, get sent off, commit an error leading to a goal and concede a penalty. Lenglet’s market value, which was €50 million, has now dropped to €14 million.
#6 Neymar Jr.
Neymar left Barcelona for PSG in 2017 for a massive fee of €222 million. Five years later, this remains the world’s most expensive transfer deal. Among other accolades, Neymar won two La Liga titles, one Champions League, and three Spanish Cups with Blaugrana.
Part of the beloved “MSN” attacking trio at Barcelona, Neymar was among the best players in the world. Much to the dismay of fans, his goal contributions over the years at PSG have dwindled. Injuries have also played a role in the 29-year-old’s decline in form.
Previously valued at €128 million, Neymar was one of the most valuable players in the world. He has seen a drastic drop in his market price and is now worth €90 million. The Brazilian has scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in 14 appearances across all competitions for PSG this season. Based on the Brazilian’s ability, one would expect a much higher output.
#5 Joao Felix
Joao Felix began his career at Porto’s youth academy before moving to rivals Benfica in 2015. He rapidly rose to glory and helped the club win the league title in his first season, in which he was also the top goalscorer.
Felix was then picked up by Atletico Madrid, who paid a staggering €126 million for the Portuguese. This makes Felix one of the most expensive players in the world. Felix's worth in the market was €100 million but has now fallen to €60 million.
The 22-year-old has not been able to replicate his best form in La Liga and has not been a regular starter. Injuries have given him limited chances to make an impression and there is also increased competition in the first-team. Diego Simeone hasn't ruled out a transfer for the Portuguese starlet. Felix has also recently been linked with a move to Manchester City.
#4 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi broke millions of Barcelona hearts when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the 2021-22 season. After a whopping 778 appearances at Barcelona, he signed for PSG on a free transfer. Based on his other-worldly abilities, however, he has not been able to make much of an impact at PSG.
Messi’s market value which was €100 million has now dropped to €60 million. While age is a prime factor in this sharp decline, Messi’s recent performances haven’t been the kind we are used to. The Argentine has scored just 1 goal and provided 5 assists in 11 appearances for PSG in the league.
#3 Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane signed for Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 for a fee of close to €40 million. Mane was crucial in Liverpool’s successful Champions League and Premier League campaigns in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Mane’s market value was €120 million but has now decreased to €80 million. The 29-year-old has been having a troublesome few seasons at Liverpool. Although Mane still works incredibly hard off the ball, he has been inefficient in front of goal on several occasions. It is clear that Mane’s impact at Liverpool isn’t like it once used to be.
Mane has eight goals and one assist this season. The Senegalese winger has been criticized for his questionable decision-making at times. Given the high standards Jurgen Klopp desires, Mane will need to step up once he returns from national duty at the AFCON. Liverpool are currently third in the Premier League, one point behind Chelsea.
#2 Phillipe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho’s big-money move to Barcelona has been an absolute disaster. He may not have won silverware with Liverpool, but Coutinho’s time at Anfield will be fondly remembered. The Brazilian signed for Blaugrana in 2018 for a fee close to €160 million. The midfielder’s career has taken a turn for the worse since the deal.
The mismanagement at Barcelona added to Coutinho’s woes and he was loaned out a year later to Bayern Munich. Barcelona fans will have bitter memories of Coutinho’s brace in the 8-2 mauling they suffered at the hands of Bayern. Coutinho’s market value of €60 million has now fallen sharply to just €18 million.
Coutinho recently made headlines when he made his Premier League return by completing a loan deal at Aston Villa. Fans will be eagerly waiting to see if Steven Gerrard includes the Brazilian in the starting eleven against Manchester United on Saturday.
#1 Eden Hazard
Widely regarded as one of the worst deals in football history, Eden Hazard’s time with Real Madrid has been forgettable. The 2014-15 Premier League Player of the Season is a shadow of his former self at Madrid. Eden Hazard was a monster at Chelsea, scoring 110 goals and providing 92 assists in 352 appearances across all competitions.
Hazard won two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, one FA Cup, and one League Cup with the Blues. Tormented by injuries ever since he moved to Madrid, Hazard has managed just five goals and 10 assists in 59 matches.
These are quite dreadful numbers given that Madrid paid a fee of around €100 million for him. Hazard’s value has dropped to €18 million from €60 million. The Belgian has only two assists in all competitions in 16 appearances for Madrid this season. It looks increasingly unlikely that Hazard will replicate the form he showed at Chelsea.
