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Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to ever grace the game and his records speak for themselves. What is even more impressive is that he has done so at three different clubs, not to mention on the international stage too. However, the star-studded centre-forward is slowing down.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not the hottest property on the market anymore
Manchester United may have brought their legend back to Old Trafford last summer, but he is not the man who left them for a world-record transfer fee in 2009.
Cristiano Ronaldo adapted to the new challenges of the game by becoming a poacher towards the end of his career at Real Madrid. His time at Juventus may not have been trophy-laden but it was personally successful.
However, his time at the Theater of Dreams this term is evidence of why he is only worth £31.5 million today (as per transfermarkt). To put this in context, there are several other budding talents, especially defenders, who are more valuable than him today.
On that note, let's take a look at 5 defenders you would not believe are more valuable than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Note: All figures are as per Transfermarkt.
#5 Edmond Tapsoba - £36 million
Edmond Tapsoba is one of the rising stars of tomorrow and is becoming increasingly popular in the Bundesliga. The 23-year-old ace joined Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020 and has been sensational for them.
Last season, the Burkina Faso international helped the German club keep the third best defense in the league. While the current campaign has not been as stellar, Leverkusen are 3rd in the league, just six points off 2nd placed Borussia Dortmund. However, this is no surprise since Tapsoba has been injured for long periods. But when he has been on the pitch, he has given his all to his side.
Tapsoba could seal a big-money move to a top club in Europe soon and his current value of £36 million is sure to rise in the coming years. Cristiano Ronaldo will certainly know about this feeling but his decline means that there are better players in world football today.
#4 Fikayo Tomori- £40.50 million
Fikayo Tomori has been one of the best signings for AC Milan over the last couple of years. The centre-back left Chelsea to join the Italian club in January 2021 and signed for them permanently last summer.
Moving from one's boyhood club is often hard, but Tomori has been unerringly good for the San Siro outfit. He is quick, decisive and is a wonderful passer of the ball. The England international is also a threat from set-pieces and is often bustling to get his head on the ball during corners. His eye-catching performances have resulted in AC Milan being 2nd in the Serie A table, level on points with 1st-placed Napoli.
Tomori is currently valued at £40.50 million, a little more than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese international is still effective but the AC Milan ace has time on his hands, thereby justifying his current market value.
#3 Caglar Soyuncu- £40.5 million
Caglar Soyuncu is one of the most talented defenders in the Premier League at the moment. The 25-year-old ace joined Leicester City in 2018 but only became a regular for the club the following campaign.
In the past two years, the Turkish international has been a massive reason behind the club securing two top-five finishes. The current campaign has been disastrous for the Foxes but they have failed across the board and injuries have not helped their case either. Soyuncu still looks formidable but is part of a team that looks wayward and bereft of ideas, which is something Cristiano Ronaldo can certainly relate to.
Soyuncu may never be able to achieve the same glory as Cristiano Ronaldo, but his £40.5 million market value is understandably higher than the aging striker.
#2 Diego Carlos- £40.50million
Diego Carlos may be the oldest player on the list, but the defender is still nearly a decade younger than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazilian international joined Sevilla in 2019 and has since been one of the first names on the team sheet for the La Liga club.
A sensible and calm operator with and without the ball, the 28-year-old ace is a leader at the back for the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán outfit. There has been a lot of hype about his teammate Jules Kounde over the last couple of years and Carlos' performances have gone under the radar.
The South American ace is just as talented and was the key reason behind the club winning the 2020 Europa League trophy. His quality performances have also ensured that Sevilla are second in the league table and have maintained the 2nd-best defense in Europe's top 5 leagues after 26 league games.
Carlos is deservedly valued at £40.5 million and is arguably a greater asset to Sevilla than Cristiano Ronaldo currently is to Manchester United.
#1 Alessandro Bastoni- £54 million
From the oldest on the list, to the youngest. Alessandro Bastoni joined Inter Milan from Atalanta in 2017 but the 22-year-old ace only became part of the first-team in 2019.
Learning under a great coach like Antonio Conte, Bastoni has developed well over the past couple of years and is now one of the finest centre-backs in Italy. Conte might not be at Inter Milan anymore but the Italian international is certainly a prodigy, similar to Cristiano Ronaldo was durings early days at Manchester United.
Like the 5-time Champions League winner, the sky is the ceiling for Bastoni. He won the Serie A title last season and has helped his side maintain the 2nd-best defense this season, resulting in the club being third in the league table.
Bastoni is talented enough and has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or award one day, especially if he continues to play this way. His £54 million market value is evidence of the same and could become just as valuable as Cristiano Ronaldo was in his heyday.
