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Just like any other calendar year jampacked with club and country football rarely fails to deliver on the promise, 2021 played its part. There was high quality football throughout the 12 months with many winners and losers in different competitions.
It was a year when big names stepped up and put up a string of performances that made a real difference. The Copa America and UEFA Euro competitions both unfolded in the most thrilling manner possible as Italy and Argentina both scripted history. In the run to those competitions and after they were concluded, many new names established themselves as hot prospects worth scouting.
Now we all know that in modern football, an upscale in performances on the pitch is often observed and impacts the graph in the market. The better the players perform, the more cash clubs seek for them as suitors line up to sign them.
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Owing to their performances during the course of 2021, many players successfully managed to up their stocks by a significant margin. They are the hottest properties in Europe right now. Some of them have committed their long-term future to their current clubs and others can be persuaded to make the switch.
Here are the 10 players with the highest increase in market value as published by Transfermarkt.
#10 Jack Grealish +€30M
It is hard to argue that when Jack Grealish imagined himself taking the big step from Aston Villa things could have been more ideal than this.
The Englishman was signed by Premier League champions Manchester City, where he now shares the dressing room with a phenomenal bunch. Moreover, he is being coached by one of the modern greats, Pep Guardiola himself.
In 2021, Grealish saw a net increase of €30m in his market value, which went from €50m to €80m which is also his current value. Man City signed him for a British transfer record fee of €117m.
Guardiola is yet to bear the fruit that seemed almost guaranteed when the cash was splashed. In 20 appearances in all competitions this season, the 26-year old has only managed three goals and three assists. But Grealish is a player who is in his prime and will stay at the top of his game for the upcoming years.
At least that is what the Cityzens will be hoping for.
#9 Emile Smith Rowe +€35.3M
It seems almost like a joke that in December 2020 Emile Smith Rowe was valued at a mere €2.70m. In 2021, he had a breakthrough year with Arsenal as his role under Mikel Arteta became more important and he duly obliged to the rising expectations.
In the summer, he was given the iconic Arsenal No.10 shirt which was previously worn by Mesut Ozil. The 21-year old has exhibited great vision and creativity just like his predecessor but works off the ball with almost double the effort. After that meteoric rise in his market value he is currently worth a €38m.
Given how the season has gone so far, Smith Rowe is only going to increase his stocks as the year progresses. The Arsenal midfielder is versatile, comfortably playing as an attacking midfielder as well as on the wings. The England international has scored eight times and assisted twice in the Premier League in 18 games.
Emile Smith Rowe's ability to play on the half turn, occupying space between the defensive lines and sharp one-touch play have given the Gunners dynamism and urgency. He also made his debut for the Three Lions senior squad in 2021.
#8 Gavi +€40M
Before August 2021, Gavi was not even listed on the market. He was just a 16-year old who graduated from Barcelona's La Masia academy. They have a reputation for churning out world class talent every once in a while, but this time, they produced a generational talent.
Gavi went from turning 17 in August and making his La Liga debut that month to his Champions League debut and then his Spanish national team debut. All of those milestones, done and dusted in the span of just two months. The more he played, the more difficult it became to drop him from the squad.
Essentially, the Spanish midfielder has gone from not being on the market, to his current €40M in just five months. The 17-year old has great reserves of stamina and never stops running on the pitch. He is great at holding the ball and carrying it to facilitate progressive play.
Since making his debut, the Barcelona ace has only missed one game, their first match of 2022 due to a positive COVID test. Gavi is a sensation in midfield and the Spanish giants can sit assured because the player has his whole career in front of him.
#7 Jamal Musiala +€45M
Another teenager who is showing maturity way beyond his years on the pitch is Jamal Musiala.
We often talk about the next big step for exceptional youngsters, but when you are starting games for Bayern Munich, you have already made it big. Musiala is the youngest player to have featured for the Bavarians in the Bundesliga.
Over the course of the last twelve months there has been an increement of €45m in his market valuation which stands at €55m right now. The youngster excelled under Hansi Flick and continues to produce big performances under Julian Nagelsmann. Thomas Muller has praised the 18-year old on numerous occasions.
What Musiala has managed to do is really quite an achievement. He's going toe-to-toe with the likes of Muller, Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, among others, and still managing to stand out.
The German has made 61 appearances for Bayern in all competitions and has managed 20 goal contributions.
The attacking midfielder has often been deployed on the wings and has been effective in that position.
#6 Florian Wirtz +€46M
One look at Florian Wirtz in that Bayer Leverkusen outfit out on the pitch and you can't tell he is an 18-year old just in his second full season in the Bundesliga. There's just so much going for him. The composure with the ball at his feet, the creativity to facilitate attacking transitions and the ability to finish are all effortless.
As an attacking midfielder, he has been hugely prolific, scoring 17 goals and providing a further 19 assists in just 68 appearances. In 2021, he became the first U-19 footballer to score 10+ goals in the German Bundesliga. When Wirtz emerged, everyone branded him "Kai Havertz version 2".
But the way he has progressed makes you think the ceiling may be higher for the 18-year old than the Chelsea man. Naturally, when you have loads of talent like that, big European clubs are always monitoring you and the case is no different with Wirtz.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United and even Aston Villa are among those weighing their chances of signing the Leverkusen sensation.
#5 Jude Bellingham +€48M
One may run out of superlatives when it comes to describing Jude Bellingham, but such has been his rise at Borussia Dortmund that the world has taken notice. He is undoubtedly their second best player, only behind Erling Haaland and the striker himself has praised the midfielder on many occasions.
2021 was a great year for Bellingham, who broke a few records at club and country level. He became the youngest player to debut at the Euro tournaments, the youngest to score in successive Champions League games. The prodigy is already one of the best midfielders in Europe and is valued at €75m right now.
Bellingham is being touted for a return to England in the Premier League with Liverpool the most interested party. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on him. The midfielder has featured in 24 games this season and has contributed with three goals and 10 assists.
His close control is commendable and is always looking to progress the ball forward. The 18-year old is a fine dribbler and often helps in building play from the back, often seen galloping with the ball towards the opposition penalty box.
#4 Pedri +€50M
Pedri joined Barcelona from Las Palmas where he played in the second division of Spanish football until 2020. He then joined Ronald Koeman's Barcelona and became one of the very few positives for the Spanish giants in a dull campaign. The Spanish midfielder has played for Spain as well and has since established himself as an integral part of Luis Enrique's side.
The 19-year old was bestowed with the Golden Boy award after a scintillating season with Barcelona and his consistent performances at Euro 2020. In Lionel Messi's final campaign, Pedri established a special connection with him as they linked superbly in midfield.
The midfielder is great at interpreting space and often becomes the outlet for fellow teammates to pass the ball. He is always looking to progress with the ball and has an eye to spot his forward's run. Pedri's composure in the middle of the park is way beyond his years and he never panics.
Barcelona know full well that they have a gem for years to come and therefore have tied him to a contract with a €1 billion release clause.
#3 Vinicius Jr. +€50M
Anyone who follows football in Europe is well aware of the drastic improvement Vinicius Jr. has shown in the last six months.
In the past, Vini Jr. usually found himself on the end of frequent criticism for not being decisive in the final-third, making rash decisions and giving the ball cheaply. However, he has revamped his game and the Brazilian is setting La Liga alight this season.
He has struck all the right chords this season and formed a threatening partnership with man-in-form Karim Benzema. The 21-year old went from being valued at just €40m in January 2021 to a massive €100m in January 2022. Between those two dates the Real Madrid winger has scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists.
Since Carlo Ancelloti took charge of the Spanish giants, the difference in Vinicius has been big. He has valued the ball more, hasn't rushed onto taking defenders and looking for extra passes where possible. But most importantly he has trusted his instincts to take aim at goal and that's working pretty nicely for him.
It could be argued that over the last 12 months he is the most improved player in Europe and that hike in his price is justifiable.
#2 Erling Haaland +€50M
Erling Haaland is one of the hottest properties in Europe right now and more so these days because after June 2022, his release clause will come into play. The biggest European clubs, the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City, are all in the hunt to find their next No.9 and the name does not get bigger than Haaland.
After scoring a remarkable 41 goals in 41 matches in all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign, the Norwegian continued firing on all cylinders. Injury has kept him on the sidelines this season, but in the eleven Bundesliga games played, he already has 13 goals and nine assists.
Haaland has become a complete centre-forward in the last year. He is capable of holding the ball and bringing other attackers into the mix and can gallop at will with is long strides towards goal. As far as finishing is concerned, he is among the most clinical finishers in Europe, if not the most.
Barcelona are increasingly linked with the star striker, but their financial condition is somewhat of a mess. It will be interesting to see if the Catalans can lure him to Spain and satisfy his wages.
#1 Dusan Vlahovic +€54M
When Erling Haaland was making a name for himself in Germany, breaking records in the Champions League, a secret weapon was being nurtured in Serie A. He was far from the glamor of Champions League nights, but became a figure that scared the hell out of defenders in Italy.
Dusan Vlahovic has recorded the biggest increase in market value over the course of 2021 and is priced today at €70m. The Fiorentina striker is being courted by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, among other clubs in Europe. The 6ft 2in striker is a force to be reckoned with in front of goal.
After scoring 21 goals in 37 Serie A matches last year, the Serbian has increased his strike rate and has already netted 16 goals in 19 appearances so far. He is an out-and-out striker and a perfect target man who uses his frame to his maximum advantage.
At 21 he has proven himself to be a big game player and does not disappoint when the team needs him the most. His agility and aerial prowess is quite impressive and him being put in the same bracket as Haaland is well deserved. Whoever manages to sign Vlahovic is definitely getting a jackpot.
