'%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)
2020 was inarguably an incredibly challenging year for the sport of football, much like for everything and everyone else on the planet. The 3-month shutdown led to the 2019-2020 season being extended and fixtures crammed. That also forced a shorter recovery period before the start of the ongoing 2020-21 season.
With consistency and routine being rendered myths and fatigue (mental and physical) seemingly just around the corner, most footballers are bound to have struggled at some point - if not many - during the season. However, there were several players who managed to overcome the barrage of obstacles and churn in good performances most often than not, throughout the year.
In this listicle. we'll take a look at ten such players whose performances in 2020 (coupled with factors like age and ability) resulted in their respective market values increasing the most (as per Transfermarkt).
#10 Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen): +€25.5M
At the start of 2020, Edmond Tapsoba played for Vitoria Guimaraes in the Premeira Liga - Portugal's top football division - and was estimated to be worth €4.5M.
At the end of the January transfer window, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen for a deal worth €18M + €7M in add-ons.
By the end of December 2020, the 21-year-old Burkinabe centre-back made 40 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen, quickly establishing himself as an integral part of the team.
The ongoing 2020-21 season is his first full season at the club; he has already started 12 league matches, helping Leverkusen hold third place in the Bundesliga table.
By the end of 2020, Tapsoba's market value increased by €25.5M, and he was estimated to be €30M.
#9 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): +€27M
Bukayo Saka truly broke onto the scene at Arsenal, full of promise and talent, in the 2019-20 season and has become a key figure in the side ever since. He ended the season with 39 appearances, four goals and 11 assists across all competitions.
At the end of 2019, the 19-year-old Englishman was estimated to be worth €13M. By the end of the 2019-20 season, that figure increased to €35M. In the ongoing 2020-21 season, Saka has already made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and assisting as many.
His performances helped the Gunners lift the FA Cup last season and the FA Community Shield at the start of the ongoing campaign.
Notably, Saka was also called up to the England senior squad and made his international debut; he played three games for his country in 2020.
The end of 2020 saw his market value soar to €40M, an increase of €27M since the start of the year.
#8 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan): +€27M
By the beginning of 2020, Alessandro Bastoni had only played a handful of matches for Inter Milan, and his market value at the time was estimated to be €23M. However, during the year, he quickly became a mainstay at the heart of Inter's defence.
Since January 2020, the 21-year-old defender has made 64 appearances for Inter across all competitions. His performances and impact were significant, as he helped the club reach the final of the UEFA Europa League, where they lost to Sevilla.
Towards the end of the year, Bastoni was called up to represent the Italy senior team, and he subsequently made his international debut in a friendly match in November.
His market value at the year end was estimated to be €50M, which was an increase of €27M since the start of the year.
#7 Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund): +€30M
Giovanni Reyna moved to Borussia Dortmund's academy from New York City FC in 2019.
He was soon promoted to the senior team and went on to make his senior debut in a Bundesliga match against FC Augsburg. That made Reyna, at 17 years and 66 days, the youngest American to play in Germany's top division.
Since then, the teenager has made 41 appearances for Dortmund, scoring five goals and assisting eight. His talent quickly caught peoples' eye and subsequently earned him his first cap for the United States team towards the end of 2020.
Reyna's rapid rise to prominence has reflected in the sharp increase of his market value as well. At the end of the year, his market value was estimated to have increased by €30M - not bad at all for a rookie.
#6 Mason Greenwood (Manchester United): +€30M
Manchester United's Mason Greenwood is another young player who has made excellent progress in quick time. A product of the club's famed academy since the age of six, Greenwood rose through the ranks and made his competitive debut for the senior team in 2019.
By the start of 2020, Greenwood had already made 22 appearances, scored eight goals and assisted three more across all competitions, despite usually coming off the bench late in games. At the time, his market value was estimated to be €20M.
The 19-year-old has now played 71 matches for the Red Devils and has scored 20 goals and assisted eight. Greenwood's prolific striking ability coupled and his ambidexterity make him a highly promising talent.
He also made his debut for the England senior team in 2020. By the year end, his market value was estimated to be €50M, an increase of €30M since the start of the year.
#5 Phil Foden (Manchester City): +30M
Despite being just 20 years of age, Phil Foden has been around at Manchester City for a while now. The ongoing season is his fourth at the club, which reflects just how talented the midfielder is.
Generally used as a substitute for Cup games till 2019, Foden began to find more game-time after the start of 2020. As his number of opportunities increased, his performances improved, and Pep Guardiola's faith in him grew deeper.
Foden also received his first call to represent the England senior team in 2020; he has already made three appearances for the Three Lions.
As his stature grew, unsurprisingly, so did his market value. After starting the year with an estimated value of €30M, Foden ended the year with an increase of €30M in his estimated value; the player is now valued at €60M.
#4 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United): +€30M
Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United in January 2020 for a fee believed to be worth €80M, including add-ons. At the time, his market value was estimated to be €60M.
Since his arrival, the Portugal international has taken the Premier League by storm and has made Manchester United a force to be reckoned with once again. While his stats at the club have been extraordinary, the sheer impact of his presence has been unparalleled.
The 26-year-old has played 47 matches for the Red Devils across all competitions and has been involved in 44 goals (27 goals and 17 assists).
Fernandes has already won six Player-of-the-Month awards at Manchester United despite being a player for the club for less than 12 months in a year when the regular season experienced a 3-month halt.
Unsurprisingly, his market value has also witnessed a sharp rise. At the end of 2020, his market value was estimated to be €90M, an increase of €30M since the start of the year.
#3 Ansu Fati (Barcelona): +€40M
A product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Ansu Fati has quickly become a beacon of hope at a club that seems to be struggling on multiple levels. After signing his first professional contract in July 2019, Fati made his senior team (and La Liga) debut even before playing for Barcelona's reserve team.
The 18-year-old Spanish star already holds several age-related records and is widely hailed as one of the best young players across the world.
By the start of 2020, Fati had played a few matches for Barcelona, largely as a substitute, but had begun to make the most of his opportunities. At that time, his market value was estimated to be €40M.
However, since then, Fati has started to become a key player in the team, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding Lionel Messi's future.
So far, Fati has made 43 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions and has scored 13 goals and assisted five. Notably, Fati finished in second place in the 2020 Golden Boy award.
He also received his first call-up to Spain's senior team and went on to make four appearances on the international stage.
At the end of 2020, his market value had increased significantly, and the player was estimated to be worth €80M, an increase of €40M over the course of the calendar year.
#2 Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich): +€55M
Alphonso Davies only became a regular feature at Bayern Munich towards the end of 2019, ending the year with an estimated market value of €25M.
He built on the momentum subsequently and went on to make a splash the next year. The left-back's speed proved to be too much for most teams to handle, as he tormented sides all year long. Davies is already being hailed as one of the best left-backs in the world.
An absolute livewire, the 20-year-old was a key part of a Bayern Munich team that was quite simply unstoppable. He helped the Bavarian club win their second continental treble en route to five trophies during the year - Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup - with Davies being a fundamental cog in the rampaging Bayern juggernaut.
The Canada international finished in third place in the 2020 Golden Boy award. By the end of 2020, Alphonso Davies became one of the most well-known young players in the game, and his market value soared to an estimated €80M - an increase of €55M.
#1 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund): +€55M
Erling Haaland kicked up quite a storm in the first half of the 2019-20 season while playing for FC Salzburg in the Austrian top flight. In the first half of the season, he made 22 appearances and scored a staggering 28 goals for the Austrian club in all competitions.
Subsequently, on 1st January 2020, the Norwegian striker completed a move to Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €20M. His market value at the time was estimated to be €45M.
Haaland is yet another player who took 2020 by storm, as he settled in almost immediately at Dortmund.
Since his arrival at the beginning of last year, the 20-year-old has made 33 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 33 goals and assisting six. Despite his young years, Haaland is already making a name for himself for his astonishingly prolific shooting ability.
The winner of the 2020 Golden Boy award, Haaland had a truly meteoric year, which is reflected in his market value as well, which increased by €55M; the Dortmund player ended the year with an estimated market value of €100M.
