All 531 players updated
Ligue 1 is the first of Europe’s top leagues to receive a big summer update in which the market values of all players will be adjusted. While PSG stars Lionel Messi and Neymar receive big downgrades, Kylian Mbappé remains the most valuable player in the world. The biggest winners, however, play for Monaco, Stade Reims, and Stade Rennais.
The player with the biggest increase is Monaco star Aurélien Tchouameni (+€20m). Both Real Madrid and Liverpool are trying to sign the 22-year-old, who has been playing a fantastic season. “Monaco are unbeaten in eleven games—that’s not just because of the attack but because of a very strong midfield,” Area Manager France Ronan Caroff said. “Tchouameni is an important building block in midfield and the biggest winner of the update with a new market value of €60 million.”
Real Madrid are willing to offer €80 million; that would make him the second most expensive outgoing transfer in Monaco’s history behind Mbappé. Mbappé, in the meantime, has turned down a transfer to Real Madrid for a second time. The best goalscorer and best assist provider in Ligue 1 confirmed the world’s highest market value (€160m) this season. Two other PSG stars, however, have dropped.
Messi, Ronaldo & Co.
The most valuable players 34 and older
Overview
“Messi’s downgrade from €60 million to €50 million is mostly due to his age; he will turn 35 this June,” Caroff said. “But his statistics, when compared to Barcelona, have also dropped significantly and his downgrade is only logical—he remains the most valuable player in the world in his age category, however.” Despite his eighth downgrade in a row, Messi remains among the ten most valuable players in France—only behind Tchouameni and his teammates Mbappé, Achraf Hakimi (-€5m to €65m), Marquinhos (-€5m to €70m) and Neymar.
“It is the same old story when it comes to Neymar, he once again had a frustrating season in which he only showed his talent occasionally and was often stopped by injuries,” Caroff said. “But showing world-class performances in the past does not justify a market value of €90 million.” Neymar dropped by €15 million to now €75 million.
Mbappé, Tchouaméni & Co. – The most valuable Ligue 1 players
That is also the case for the once most valuable goalkeeper in the world: Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 23-year-old shared goalkeeper duties with Keylor Navas (-€2m to €8m) and Donnarumma received his first major minus in his market value dropping from €65 million to €50 million.
“The main reason for Gigio’s downgrade is not necessarily his performances but the fact that the goalkeeper market has been depressed recently,” Caroff said. “There have been no major transfers like it was the case in 2018 and 2019 and the market values of all goalkeepers will be adjusted accordingly.”
A regular starter in the attack has been Stade Rennais’ Martin Terrier. The 25-year-old was used both as a winger and attacking midfielder in the first half of the season before finally nailing down a position as a striker where he showed his best performances. “After Tchouameni, Terrier is the second biggest winner of the update, jumping from €16 million to €25 million,” Caroff said. “Since March he has been stone-cold in front of the goal, scoring eight goals in seven games in a row, which could award him with a call-up to the national team soon. English teams a scouting him as well.”
Hugo Ekitike is also being scouted heavily. Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund want to sign him this summer. The 19-year-old Frenchman is the biggest discovery of the Ligue 1 season and has increased his market value from just €600,000 in June 2021 to now €28 million. The forward saw his market value increase by €8 million in the current update. “A thigh issue slowed him down for three months but he was able to show his full talent towards the end of the season,” Caroff said. “The rumor mill has been churning and fees have been mentioned that have been unheard of in Reims. The latest update just confirms the expectations the footballing world has placed in him without exaggerating too much. After all, it is his first full season in a top league.”
7x PSG in the top 10
The most valuable Ligue 1 players
Overview
Another player with an impressive market value curve is RC Lens’ Jonathan Clauss. Signed on a free transfer from Arminia Bielefeld in 2020, Clauss saw his market value grow from €1.2 million to €15 million and the right-winger has made his debut for France’s national team at the tender age of 29. Clauss saw his market value increase by another €3 million and is now closing in on Julian Draxler, who dropped from €20 million to €18 million—the fourth downgrade since 2019.
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).
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