'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Football, just like any other sport, is a matter of numbers. A player's value is truly a reflection of his performance at both the club and the international level. His transfer value, which is the price a club will have to pay in order to secure the player's signature, is determined by how consistent the footballer has been in his recent tenure.
There are many reasons for the increase and decrease of the transfer value of a player. Performance, injuries, first team inclusion and the inclusion in the national squad. Some footballers have had a great time in the transfer market. For instance, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has seen a dramatic increase in his transfer value ever since his arrival at Anfield, becoming the most expensive defender at £71million, whereas the likes of Alexander Pato, who was once rated £31million in 2010, now has a price tag of £6million. Transfer values are truly a reflection of performance.
5 world-class players have seen it coming, as they were once considered as some of the best and most expensive players in the world, and are currently dropping down in their own value.
#5 Juan Mata - Manchester United
Juan Mata is considered as one of the most consistent attacking midfielders in the world, as his stint with Chelsea, where he helped take his team all the way to the UEFA Champions League final, was something that he can credit for. His ability to ghost into the goalscoring positions and score from set-pieces has been something useful for Jose Mourinho ever since his arrival at Old Trafford. However, his recent form has been questionable as he isn't given enough time on the field.
Mata was rated around £41million in 2013 when he arrived at Old Trafford but hasn't quite kept the price tag, as his transfer value is continuously dropping down, Currently, it is about £25million in 2018, and can further decline to £20million if the trend continues. His exclusion from the Spanish national team and the fact that his performance at club level has been disastrous, Mata needs more play time in order to lift his value.
#4 Arturo Vidal - Barcelona
Regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, Arturo Vidal is best known for his time with Juventus in the 2014/15 season, where his performance earned him a lot of credentials, as he along with Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo formed a midfield trio that was considered as one of the deadliest in the world. His stint with his international team, winning the Copa America titles twice, was one of his biggest career highlights.
With the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Corentin Tolisso, and James Rodriguez taking over the midfield at Bayern Munich, it was surely time for Vidal to depart. At the age of 31, he still stands as a strong midfielder. However, the lack of performance for his club and the international side, where they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, which led to him retiring eventually, has seen a drastic declination in his transfer value over the last 3 years. He was once one of the most expensive midfielders in the world. From a value of £41million in 2014, Vidal is now rated with a price tag of £22million. His transfer sum was around £18 million when he signed for La Blaugrana.
#3 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid
One of the best strikers in the world, Karim Benzema has had a great time playing for Los Blancos for almost a decade. A tactically gifted finisher, the Frenchmen is considered as one of the most complete centre-forwards in the world, with an extremely high work rate even at the age of 30. His 3 consecutive Champions League titles have been extremely important in his development as a football player.
However, the beginning of this year saw something different as Benzema's price tag in the transfer market started declining at a flabbergasting rate. The French striker was rated £54 million in the very last year, his maximum value, and now, the Real Madrid forward's transfer value is somewhere around the £36million mark, and is constantly dropping down.
This may have been due to him not being selected for the French World Cup squad and the fact that Real Madrid's performance this season is nothing to be proud of.
#2 Cesc Fabregas - Chelsea
Cesc Fabregas is considered as one of the most important players in the history of the Premier League, as his stint with Arsenal earned him a lot of attention from fans all over the world. After a brief period at Camp Nou, Fabregas returned to England as he joined Chelsea back in 2014, and has won 2 Premier League titles with the Blues. However, his lack of play time in the recent few months has had a toll on his future as he lies on the bench.
In addition, his exclusion from the World Cup and a disastrous Premier League campaign in the 2017/18 has had an impact on his transfer tag. He was once labelled as the most expensive player in the Premier League with a transfer value of £50million, dropping all the way down to £22million in 2018. Now, it has dropped down to a lowly £10million since last year's value of £32million. His age only being 31, Fabregas surely has a lot of time to prove why he is still one of the best midfielders in the world.
#1 Mario Gotze - Borussia Dortmund
After Germany's success at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Mario Gotze was undoubtedly at the peak of his career, but for the most part, the success didn't last for too long as with a year or two, Gotze's performance started plummeting and he was sent back to his former club Borussia Dortmund. The 5-time Bundesliga winner is now fading from the memories of most of the football fans.
Most people believe that the 26-year-old's World Cup success has exaggerated his career and that is probably the only highlight that he has, but surely, Gotze is more than that. He was considered as the best young player in the world, but there is no doubt about that, as Borussia Dortmund's current run in the league is a reflection of him and his team's performance.
But due to injuries and the lack of play time, Gotze's value in the transfer market has been dropping down since his departure from Bayern Munich. With a value of £50 million in 2014 to his current value of £16 million, the German has dropped down drastically in numbers!
