Most valuable players without Champions League games: Wirtz alongside Rice & Co.

By


From €27m to €70m 

“I want to lead my team to a Champions League place,” Florian Wirtz said ahead of the season in an interview with Sky. After finishing sixth in the Bundesliga last season, Bayer Leverkusen want to end their two-year run without UCL football. While the best and most valuable players play in the competition every year, the 18-year-old is among the players with the highest market value to have never played in the most important club competition in the world. 

The only players with a higher market value than Wirtz, who ranks second with a market value of €65 million, are Mikel Oyarzabal from Real Sociedad and Declan Rice from West Ham United—the two share first place with a market value of €70 million. Since his breakthrough in 2019, Rice has been linked with several top clubs in the Premier League, but West Ham United’s transfer demands have torpedoed any potential move. Hammers’ manager David Moyes wanted £100 million (€118m) for the defender in the last window and has since pointed out that the London-based club could ask for even more. 

Rice & Saka in the top 5: The most valuable player without a Champions League game

37 Xaver Schlager (VfL Wolfsburg) – Market value: €27m

&copy Imago/TM

37 Ismaila Sarr (FC Watford) – Market value: €27m

&copy imago images

35 Evan N’Dicka (Frankfurt) – Market value: €28M

&copy imago images

35 Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) – Market value: €28m

&copy imago images

29 Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) – Market value: €30m

&copy imago images

29 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – Market value: €30m

&copy imago images

29 Gianluca Mancini (Roma) – Market value: €30m

&copy imago images

29 Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) – Market value: €30m

&copy Imago/TM

29 John McGinn (Aston Villa) – Market value: €30m

&copy Imago/TM

29 Bryan Gil (Tottenham) – Market value: €30m

&copy imago images

25 Raphinha (Leeds United) – Market value: €32m

&copy imago images

25 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – Market value: €32m

&copy imago images

25 Ivan Toney (Brentford) – Market value: €32m

&copy imago images

25 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) – Market value: €32m

&copy imago images

16 Jordan Veretout (Roma) – Market value: €35m

&copy Imago/TM

16 Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Lucas Paqueta (Lyon) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Aurélien Tchouameni (Monaco) – Market value: €35m

&copy TM/imago images

16 Nicolas Pépé (Arsenal) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

16 Andrea Belotti (Torino) – Market value: €35m

&copy imago images

11 Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) – Market value: €40m

&copy imago images

11 Wesley Fofana (Leicester) – Market value: €40m

&copy imago images

11 Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) – Market value: €40m

&copy imago images

11 Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad) – Market value: €40m

&copy imago images

11 Ben White (Arsenal) – Market value: €40m

&copy imago images

8 Caglar Söyüncü (Leicester) – Market value: €45m

&copy Imago/TM

8 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) – Market value: €45m

&copy imago images

8 Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) – Market value: €45m

&copy Imago/TM

6 Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina) – Market value: €50m

&copy imago images

6 James Maddison (Leicester) – Market value: €50m

&copy Imago/TM

5 Richarlison (Everton) – Market value: €55m

&copy Imago/TM

3 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen) – Market value: €65m

&copy imago images

3 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – Market value: €65m

&copy imago images

1 Declan Rice (West Ham) – Market value: €70m

&copy imago images

1 Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) – Market value: €70m

&copy imago images

Wirtz, who is under contract until 2026, is in a similar transfer category. But according to Bayer Leverkusen, director of sport Rudi Völler, a transfer will not be possible until the summer of 2023. “Definitely,” Völler recently said when asked whether Wirtz will wear the Leverkusen shirt next season. 

The wait for the UCL: Zaha at Palace – Saka & Vlahovic other examples

While Wirtz and other young stars like Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina), and Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) are still at the beginning of their career and will have plenty of opportunities to play in the Champions League, Wilfried Zaha has already missed a few chances to play in the world’s premier club competition. The Ivorian will celebrate his 29th birthday this week and has never played in the UCL or Europa League. 

Crystal Palace are currently 13th in England and unlikely to ever qualify for the Champions League. Zaha’s market value of €45 million makes him the most valuable player in the Palace’s squad and is under contract until 2023. This summer was the third year in a row he tried to leave the Eagles. But like it was the case for Price, his club wanted €100 million to agree to a transfer.

Most valuable players without Champions League games 



Homepage

 



Source link

Share This Article