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Christmas is a period of merriment as the birthday of Jesus Christ is celebrated all over the world. It marks the start of an enjoyable period of gifts, cakes and cookies as the world prepares itself to usher in a new year.
Footballers, like everyone else, take part in the merriment, taking time out of their busy festive schedule. For several of them though, the celebrations double as their birthday falls on Christmas or just around it.
While there is no shortage of players, and it even includes some worthwhile names, who are the best ones among the lot? While there are many benchmarks to judge them upon, market valuation is an effective measure. As it incorporates the performance and financial aspects, the market value of a footballer serves as an ideal indicator to football clubs. The following set of footballers have the highest market values among players who are born on or around Christmas.
#5 Wilfried Singo - €7M
Ivory Coast youngster Wilfried Singo has grabbed a few headlines in Europe with his exploits for Serie A. The Ivorian defender was born on December 25, 2000.
Singo plays as a right-back for Italian club Torino, and he has shown early signs of his potential already. He joined the club as a teenager in 2019 but has already become a starter for his side. Additionally, he can also operate as a right midfielder when needed.
Singo has excellent ability to run with the ball and put in crosses. He is also quite adept at winning the ball and tracking back to restrict opposition attackers.
In the current campaign, Singo has made 19 appearances so far and has also chipped in the attack with three goal involvements. His current market valuation is constantly rising and is at €7 million for the time being.
#4 Aaron Ramsey - €10M
Welsh international Aaron Ramsey was born on December 26, 1990, one day after Christmas. The 30-year-old currently joined Juventus in 2019 after spending 11 years with Premier League outfit Arsenal.
Ramsey plays as an orthodox central midfielder, but he has a creative side in his game. Not only can he make great passes, Ramsey also darts forward when possible to enter the box and get into scoring position.
Aaron Ramsey has a market valuation of €10 million which is arguably poor for his abilities. This has been a result of the reduced game time that Ramsey has had to endure at Turin.
With his contract expiring in the summer of 2023, Ramsey is rumored to be making a comeback to the Premier League at Arsenal. This is likely to see his valuation go up.
#3 Alexis Mac Allister - €10M
Highly rated Brighton and Hove Albion and Argentina youngster Alexis Mac Allister was born one day before Christmas on December 24, 1998. Mac Allister spent his training years in Argentina with Argentinos Juniors. Here, his skillful ability on the ball and pinpoint notice brought him to the notice of Brighton. The club signed him on a four-and-a-half year deal in 2019.
To fast-track his development and ensure game time, Mac Allister has been sent on loan to Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors in recent years.
Mac Allister from has already scored two goals and assisted three in 13 appearances this season. With performances like this, his market valuation is likely to go up from the current €10 million.
#2 Serge Aurier - €15M
Serge Aurier is the second Ivory Coast footballer on the list and the Villarreal right-back has the second-highest market valuation. Born on December 24, 1992, Aurier started his playing days at RC Lens in France.
After spells with Toulouse and Paris Saint-Germain, Aurier arrived in the Premier League to play for Tottenham Hotspur in 2017. His time in London was a mixed one and Aurier left as a free agent this summer.
It took him until October to find a club when Aurier signed as a free agent for Spanish club Villarreal. He has been more of a backup and missed a portion of the season with an injury. Unless things improve, Aurier's €15 million valuation will likely go down quite soon.
#1 Emiliano Buendia - €35M
Norwich City in recent years have become a club where talent is nurtured and Emiliano Buendia is one such prospect. He was acquired from Getafe and has become a standout performer in the three years he spent at Norwich.
Buendia was born on Christmas on December 25, 1996. He subsequently made a move to Aston Villa earlier in the summer.
However, Buendia hasn't been up to his usual standards at Villa Park. He has played on the left wing and attacking midfield and has 986 minutes under him so far.
But his goal contributions have dried up, and he has been involved in just three of them so far. Buendia will hope Christmas brings him some birthday luck, and he will be able to turn around his fortunes.
