All players updated
Transfermarkt.pt has updated the market values of the Liga Portugal, which has led to a significant movement among the most valuable players: Jesús Corona dropped from the top spot to the bottom of the top 10 and the big three, Benfica, Sporting, and Porto, all have players with market value increases of €12 million or more. Sporting had the most considerable squad value increase; the Portuguese champion closed the gap to Benfica and Porto.
The new number one among the most valuable players is Colombian and plays for Porto: Luis Díaz. The winger sees his market value improve from €25 million to now €40 million. “Since the Copa América, he has been full of self-confidence and has become the best player in the league; he is excellent in one-v-one situations, not just in the league but also in the Champions League,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Portugal Marcel de Almeida said.
Díaz was 22 when he moved to Europe, which is relatively late. But this season, he has been directly involved in 16 goals over 15 games and has emerged as a major star. According to De Almeida, several big clubs from England, Spain, and Germany target the winger. “Bayern, Real Madrid, and Barcelona have been floated as potential clubs interested by the Portuguese media, plus the English clubs Newcastle and Liverpool,” De Almeida said. “Jürgen Klopp became a big fan of the winger after seeing him live in the Champions League this season. Porto, however, have highlighted Díaz’s exit clause, which is €80 million. A fee of at least €60 million seems realistic at the moment.”
With Díaz and Gonçalves: Market value update Liga Portugal
Pedro Gonçalves is ranked just behind Díaz. The 23-year-old Sporting winger was voted the Transfermarkt player of the season in Portugal, and he saw his market value increase by €13 million to now €38 million. “He has highlighted that he can also perform in the Champions League,” De Almeida said. “Gonçalves was directly involved in six goals in four Champions League games and was a major reason that Sporting finished the group ahead of Borussia Dortmund. The club honored his good performances with a new contract that doubled his salary—Sporting, in return, received an exit clause that was adjusted from €60 million to €80 million. The club managed to hang onto him last summer, but it is doubtful whether he will stay beyond 2022.”
Spanish clubs are also interested in Benfica forward Darwin Núñez. The striker had a slow 2020/21 season but has been excellent this year. The €24 million paid to UD Almería have been a good investment. “Núñez has been excellent in domestic competitions and in the UCL—he scored twice in his club’s 3-0 win over Barcelona,” De Almeida said. “He is a fast, physical forward, but the 22-year-old sometimes still shows that he has problems with his technique.”
3x over €50m paid
The most expensive transfers in Liga Portugal
Overview
Núñez was involved in 20 goals over 21 games this season and, as a result, his market value increases from €20 million to now €32 million. The Uruguayan is now the most valuable player in the most valuable squad in the Liga Portugal Bwin. “In November, his agent held talks with Atlético and Real Madrid,” said De Almeida. “For Uruguay, Núñez will fill the void left by Cavani and Suárez, and I am certain that the forward will use our league as a steppingstone and leave Benfica for a significant fee…if he continues his performances.”
Benfica’s Gedson and Porto bench player Corona are among the biggest losers
Consistent performances have been a thing of the past for Gedson Fernandes. The 22-year-old was once considered a top talent. Still, after loans to Tottenham Hotspur in 2020 and then to Galatasaray in 2021, the midfielder has seldomly featured, and his market value dropped by €12.5 million to now €8 million. “After failing to make the transfer to Galatasaray permanent last summer, Gedson could now move on in the winter,” De Almeida said. “The fact that he has played just 47 minutes in the league this season is due to the big competition he faces in the form of Julian Weigl and João Mário. I think he will be loaned with an option to buy.”
Competition is not the reason for Jesús Corona’s lack of playing time as the Mexican sees his market value drop from €30 million to €22 million. “His contract expires in the summer, and he has rejected offers by Porto to renew his deal to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer,” De Almeida said. “For Porto, it is the same scenario as Felipe, Herrera, Brahimi, and Marega. As a punishment, the club is now sitting him for most games. In the few games Corona has featured, the Mexican appeared demotivated, far removed from the excellent performances that made him the best player in the league over the last few years.”
Liga Portugal
All squad values
Overview
Despite Corona’s drop in market value, Porto sees their overall squad value increase by €13.3 million to now €278.3 million. As a result, the league leaders are closing the gap to record champions Benfica; their squad value has gone up by €9.5 million to now €290.5 million. The biggest winner is Sporting with a squad value increase of 25%—thanks to market value increases for Gonçalves, João Palhinha (+€5m to €26m), Pedro Porro (+€5m to €20m), Matheus Nunes (+€12m to €22m), and Gonçalo Inácio (+€7m to €16m) the current champions sees its squad value increase by €50 million to now €248.2 million.
How Transfermarkt market values work
The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees.
The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).
