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The Bundesliga for many years was a two-horse race between Borrusia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, but following the recent rise of sides like Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig, the competition has begun to even itself out a lot more.
Clubs are spending fortunes each transfer window to bolster their squads, but it’s still very difficult for the majority of teams in the division to compete with a club as wealthy as Bayern Munich, who, as a result of their lavish spending, have built a side full of superstars. But that alone isn’t enough to see them stride towards the title unchallenged, as Leipzig and Dortmund continue to close the gap with every slip-up Munich make.
That said, most of the players in this list are, as you may have guessed, Bayern Munich players. But we wonder how many you can guess right? Leave your prediction below before going through the slides and see how many you guessed correctly.
#10 Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich) - £54.0M
Nikas Sule has been one of the best defensive prospects in Germany for several years now. Since his £18M move from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2017, the 24-year-old has seen his market value soar to a staggering £54M! And, of course, that’s just his base value; if a club wanted to buy him, they would probably have to fork out double that to convince Bayern to let him go.
Sule is currently sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture and won’t return to action until April, but that hasn’t affected his market value one bit, as many naturally expect him to pick up where he left off once he’s deemed fit to play.
Not only is Sule a vital player for Bayern Munich, but he’s also beginning to cement his position in the German national team, for whom he has played 24 times since making his debut back in August 2016.
#9 David Alaba (Bayern Munich) - £58.5M
David Alaba is arguably one of the best left-backs in the world, so to find him on this list won’t be a surprise to most people. The 27-year-old has been with Bayern Munich virtually all his career, rising through the ranks of their youth system after joining from Austria Wien reserves in 2008. He impressed for the U19s and was promoted to Bayern Munich’s B team before eventually making the step up to the first team in the summer of 2010. Since then, Alaba has been Bayern’s go-to choice for the left-back position for almost a decade.
Alaba’s market value has risen steadily over the years to where it is now, at a whopping £58.5M. And it’s a fair price too when you consider how much he contributes to his side week in, week out. It’s unlikely now that any side would attempt to buy him from Bayern as Alaba has entered his peak, so will cost a fortune to pry from Munich’s grip.
#8 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - £63.0M
Robert Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world, and even now, at 31 years old, the Polish dangerman has accumulated 22 goals in 20 games so far in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich. He is absolutely a force to be reckoned with when on the offensive, so to be valued at £63M is very much accurate - even if he is into his thirties now.
Bayern Munich managed to bring Lewandowski in on a free transfer from rivals Borussia Dortmund back in 2014 – what a superb deal that was. To be able to sign a striker of that calibre for free is nothing short of a miracle. He’s certainly been a worthwhile addition to this Bayern side, but you can expect his market value to start declining from here on, as he’s not going to be getting any younger, and so his stamina, etc, is bound to be affected in the coming years.
#7 Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) - £63.0M
Lucas Hernandez made the switch from Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich last summer for around £72M. Just a year before that transfer, Hernandez had won the FIFA World Cup with France, so his market value had risen exponentially anyway. Bayern paid a lot of money for the 23-year-old defender, but most can agree that they’ll reap the rewards as he develops - he’s still young, so has plenty of time to do so.
Hernandez can play either as a left-back or in central defence, and this type of versatility in a defender makes them valuable to any side they play for. As of writing, his market value sits at £63M, but most neutrals predict that this is set to rise within the coming years as he settles into his new side.
He must compete with the likes of David Alaba for the left-back role, which is a very difficult task, so unless Alaba gets injured, Hernandez may find little time to play in that position; therefore, we could see him utilised in a central defender role sometime soon.
#6 Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich) - £63.0M
Phillipe Coutinho’s rise to superstardom came quick and fast once he joined Liverpool for around £8M back in 2013 from Inter Milan. Before then, he was hardly noticed by leading European sides and was very much seen as a mediocre player. But that all changed when he began playing for the Reds, and he cemented himself as one of the best Premier League midfielders from the last decade.
In January 2018, Barcelona would sign the 25-year-old for a whopping £130M, which most viewed as about right for someone of his quality. He would have a few good games for Barcelona, but his time there was nowhere near as good as the football he played at Anfield.
As of writing, Coutinho is on loan at Bayern Munich and has featured in 18 games so far, scoring six and providing six assists. While these stats aren’t exceptional, it does show that he’s on the way to becoming the player he was before. However, as a result of the sudden stagnation in his career, Coutinho’s market value has dropped £18M from the £81M he was tagged with back in the summer.
#5 Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) - £67.5M
RB Leipzig signed Timo Werner for just £12M back in the summer of 2016, and like with most players they bring in, the 23-year-old developed into the player he is today all thanks to the club. So far this season, Werner has bagged 20 goals in 20 appearances and provided six assists. Regardless of what your opinion on the Bundesliga is and how easy it may be in comparison to other top flights in football, these stats speak volumes about the quality that Werner possesses.
And this is exactly why he was hunted by leading European clubs throughout the January transfer window. Ultimately, he did not leave Leipzig, but a summer move is very much on the cards, with the most interest coming from Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League. It’s anyone’s guess how much they’d have to pay for someone like Werner, though, as he’s so valuable to his current side. £80M was the figure reported by the press, but only time will tell.
#4 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) - £72.0M
Joshua Kimmich is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world right now. His top-notch performances for Bayern Munich confirm that. Bayern only paid £7M for Kimmich back in 2015, and now he’s worth a whopping £72M! That will be incredible profit if they do choose to sell him this summer, but we doubt it, as he provides too much for the team.
Although Kimmich can play as a right-back, the 24-year-old is most often utilised as a defensive midfielder instead. This may be because the role requires a lot of the ability that’s used in defending, which Kimmich has, and merges it with speed and the ability to read the game, which Kimmich also possesses, so he’s an ideal fit for any side in this role.
Throughout his career, Kimmich's market value has been on a steady incline, and given how consistently well he's been performing this season, we could see yet another spike in his value soon.
#3 Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) - £72.0M
Just when it looked like the wheels were falling off for Serge Gnabry, he clinched a move to Bayern Munich and revitalised his career in spectacular fashion.
His tenure at Arsenal was purely filled with hope and potential that never came to fruition, and so when it was announced that he would be sold to Werder Bremen for £4.5M in 2016, many thought that that would be the last time they see Gnabry on the main stage. However, after a successful first season with Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich swooped in and paid £7M to sign him in what would be one of the best deals in quite some time for the German titans.
As of writing, Gnabry is now valued at no less than £72M – that’s a £65M increase in less than three years! The German wunderkind went from obscurity in England, where he was even cast aside by then-West Brom manager Tony Pulis for not being good enough to get into a side who were fighting for survival in the Premier League, to top flight domination with Bayern Munich. What a turn around!
#2 Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) - £81.0M
Kai Havertz is a product of Bayer Leverkusen’s youth academy and is a shining example of what good can come from a well-nurtured player who is slowly integrated into the first-team.
Havertz was promoted to the first-team back in 2016 and since then, has cemented his position as an attacking midfielder for the side. So far this season, he has featured in 17 games, scoring four goals and providing two assists. These stats don’t do the 20-year-old justice, however, as the contribution he gives to his side is second to none. He essentially runs the game for Leverkusen in that final third.
And so, it’s no wonder that big clubs came knocking for him in January – namely Liverpool, with boss Jurgen Klopp openly admitting that he admires Havertz’s talent. A big summer move may be on the horizon for the forward, and Anfield looks to be the most likely destination. But will they be able to meet Leverkusen’s asking price? If his base market value is £81M, then his price tag will surely surpass £100M.
#1 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - £108.0M
When Jadon Sancho was signed by Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 from Manchester City’s U18 side, most thought that Dortmund were mad for taking him in so early in his career. He may have looked an interesting prospect but there were no clear signs at the time that he would develop into the star he is today. But Dortmund took that chance and it’s paid off for them, clearly.
The fact that less than three years on from that transfer, Jadon Sancho is now worth a staggering £108M (£101M more than Dortmund paid for him) just shows how much of an exceptional talent the 19-year-old is. So far this season, Sancho has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 18 league matches. This is new ground for a player of his age. Add to that the fact that he’s now broken into the England national team and you can easily see why his market value is so high, and will only get higher from here on out.
