Napoli has overtaken AC Milan as the team with the most valuable squad in Italy’s Serie A, currently standing at €629m after the latest €100 million player, Victor Osimhen, joined the team. Osimhen and his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are the big winners in the Serie A market value update, with Osimhen now being valued at €100m and Kvaratskhelia valued at €85m. Jatin Dietl, the Area Manager Italy at Transfermarkt, said that the Nigerian centre-forward and his attacking partner have been in top form for months and are among the favourites to reach the final of the Champions League. Napoli’s defensive additions like Min-jae Kim (+€15 to €50m), midfield metronome Stanislav Lobotka (+€8 to €38m), and goalkeeper Alex Meret (+€5 to €18m) add about €86m to the squad’s value.
Inter Milan ranked third after losing €21.5m to stand at €534.5m behind Napoli. The rankings also show Rafael Leão losing his top spot to the Napoli duo, while Lautaro Martínez gained €5m. Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic saw his market value decrease to €75m, downgraded from his earlier €80m valuation.
The update shows young players emerging, with Atalanta’s striker Rasmus Højlund, an exciting prospect, getting the third-highest increase of €20m to €35m. Nicolo Fagioli and Malick Thiaw, from Juventus and AC Milan respectively, also gained significantly.
However, the update also showed that experienced players could face a market value decrease due to injuries, as in the case of Manchester United‘s Paul Pogba, who is struggling with a calf injury, and Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku. Vlahovic’s decrease in valuation could also be attributed to the Serb’s recent slump of form compounded by injuries.
Overall, Napoli’s new squad value ranking is a testament to their recent exceptional performance. The team has overtaken rivals and champions, AC Milan, and has uprooted the Serie A monoliths – Inter Milan and Juventus – from their top spots. This shift in rankings indicates a gradual shift in the balance of power within the Italian league, and Napoli’s improving position sets an excellent benchmark for other teams to strive towards.
