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2020 has been a year like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world and football clubs have also been heavily impacted. Clubs all over the world have been cautious in their spending and deals like those of Neymar's transfer or Eden Hazard's transfer might not happen in the near future.
However, teams are always looking to strengthen and if they find the right player, they might be motivated to spend a bit of extra money to sign their man. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both on the wrong side of 30, there are new players who make the top 10 in the most valuable players list.
Without much ado, let us take a look at:
10 most valuable football players in the world right now
#10 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - €100 million
Erling Haaland is undoubtedly one of the best young talents in world football at the moment. The Borussia Dortmund star was in fine form in 2020 and he will look to continue his goalscoring run in 2021 as well.
Heavily linked with an exit in recent times, it will be interesting to see where the talented 20-year-old will play next season. Blessed with excellent finishing skills, and electric pace, Haaland is definitely destined to achieve great things.
In just 9 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, the Norwegian superstar has already managed to score 10 goals and has 2 assists to his name as well.
#9 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) - €100 million
Joao Felix took some time to settle in at Atletico Madrid, but this season he has been showing the world why he is so highly rated. The Portuguese star can play in multiple positions across the forward line, but he is perhaps most effective as a supporting striker.
The talented 21-year-old has formed a wonderful strike partnership with Luis Suarez and has been one of Diego Simeone's most trusted players this season.
With 5 goals and 3 assists so far in LaLiga, Felix will be determined to continue his good form and win the league title with Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
#8 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - €110 million
One of Pep Guardiola's key men, Raheem Sterling is capable of winning games for his team almost singlehandedly. Not at his best this season, the 26-year-old winger has still had some decisive moments scoring 4 goals and grabbing 3 assists in the Premier League so far.
Now 26, Sterling is heading towards his peak years as a player and it will be exciting to see how the England winger fares in the coming seasons. Excellent on the ball and supremely quick on the field, Sterling adds an extra dimension to the skilful Manchester City attack.
Although his market value has dipped in recent months, it will not come as a surprise to anyone if Sterling finds form and shoots up this list in the future.
Also read: Ranking the 10 best midfielders in 2020
#7 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - €110 million
Arguably the best right-back in world football right now, Trent Alexander-Arnold has played a major role in Liverpool's tremendous success in recent years. The 22-year-old Scouser has been one of the most consistent performers for Jurgen Klopp in the last few seasons.
Extremely gifted on the ball, Alexander-Arnold has an uncanny knack of picking out the right passes. His crosses cause plenty of problems to the opposition defence and he even broke the Premier League record for most assists by a defender last season.
With Liverpool fighting for top honors once again this season, Alexander-Arnold will be hoping to lift even more silverware with his boyhood club.
#6 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - €120 million
Undoubtedly one of the most complete midfielders in world football at the moment, Kevin De Bruyne is the jewel in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City crown. The 29-year-old Belgian is arguably the best player in the Premier League and he is capable of unlocking even the most rigid of opposition defences.
With 8 assists already in the Premier League this campaign, the Manchester City superstar is all set to have another stellar season. Blessed with excellent passing ability, vision and shooting ability, the Belgian superstar will be hopeful of guiding Pep Guardiola's team to major honors once again.
#5 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) - €120 million
Harry Kane has taken his game to the next level under Jose Mourinho. Capable of finishing goals and setting them up for teammates with equal ease, England's captain is a nightmare for opposition defenders.
The 27-year-old striker has formed a wonderful partnership with Heung Min-Son and together, the duo have wreaked havoc in the Premier League. A clinical finisher who always seems to know where the back of the net is, Kane has added another facet to the game and is now comfortable dropping back as well.
With the top teams in Europe keeping an eye on the talismanic Tottenham striker, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Harry Kane.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - €120 million
Already one of Liverpool's greatest ever forwards, Mohamed Salah has firmly established himself as an elite level attacker with some stunning displays in the last few seasons.
The Egyptian King has started this season in fine form as well having already found the back of the net an astonishing 13 times in 15 Premier League appearances so far.
The Liverpool superstar caused some controversy with his comments when he said that he would be open to a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid. It will be interesting to see if the Spanish giants make a move to sign one of the best players in world football at the moment.
#3 Sadio Mane (Liverpool) - €120 million
An integral part of Liverpool's amazing attacking trio, Sadio Mane has not been at his very best in the last few weeks. The Senegalese superstar was arguably Liverpool's most important player last season scoring some crucial goals and causing opposition defenders plenty of problems.
This season, however, Mane has failed to replicate the same form and has only scored 6 goals in 15 Premier League appearances so far.
The pacy forward can still cause plenty of problems to opposition defenders and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his star man gets back his mojo soon. Still only 28, Mane can continue to be at the top of his game for at least another 2 years.
#2 Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain) - €128 million
The world's most expensive player ever, Neymar Jr. still has an impressive market value of €128 million. One of the most talented players to ever play the game, Neymar put in some stunning performances and almost guided PSG to the elusive UEFA Champions League title last season.
The Brazilian superstar seems to have matured a lot in the last year and he looks determined to remain motivated and injury free towards the business end of this season.
New manager Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping to get the best out of Neymar and elevate his game to even greater heights.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - €180 million
Sitting way on top of this list, Kylian Mbappe is the most valuable player in world football at the moment. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has strongly been tipped to win a Ballon d'Or in the future and it is tough to argue against it happening.
Mbappe has been in fine form in Ligue 1 scoring an incredible 12 goals in just 13 appearances so far. Blessed with electric pace, supreme dribbling ability, and clinical finishing skills, the French superstar has been linked with a big money move to Real Madrid or Liverpool in the last few months.
Still only 22-years-old, Kylian Mbappe has the potential to become one of the greatest football players of this generation.
Note: Cristiano Ronaldo's (35-years-old) market value is €60 million, while Lionel Messi's (33-years-old) market value is €100 million
(Values courtesy - Transfermarkt)
Also read: "Cristiano Ronaldo stands out" - Barcelona star Lionel Messi praises rival
