La Liga market values: Federico Valverde and Pedri set records

Two new €100m players 

Following the new market value update of the Spanish top-flight, La Liga now has two new players who have broken the €100 million mark. Barcelona’s Pedri and Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde are setting Spanish and Uruguayan records respectively at the same time, while Atlético Madrid’s squad value drops by €91m.

The fact that things are once again going well for Real Madrid is also due to Valverde’s newly discovered attacking qualities: after one goal and two assists last season, the midfield all-rounder has already scored eight goals and provided four assists in the current campaign, earning him a €20m upgrade to €100m.

“Both in the centre of midfield and on the wing, the Uruguayan is one of Carlo Ancelotti’s key players and in absolute top form,” Tobias Blaseio, data administrator for Spain, said. “You can’t fulfil your tasks much better.” With his new market value, the 24-year-old overtakes Luis Suárez as the most valuable Uruguayan in the history of Transfermarkt market values. The former Liverpool and Barcelona striker was valued at €90m between 2015 and 2017.

La Liga market values: FC Barcelona’s Pedri also breaks €100m mark

Previously, €90m was also the highest value ever held by a Spanish footballer. The four players that held that amount in the past included Barça’s Pedri until this update, who is now upgraded to €100m. The 19-year-old midfielder is thus the third La Liga player with a market value of €100m or more alongside Valverde and behind Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, who maintains his value of €120m. There are currently six players in the triple-digit millions worldwide and after Wednesday’s Bundesliga update, this number could further increase.

In the case of Barça’s homegrown talent Gavi, it seems only a matter of time before the 18-year-old midfielder will also break the €100m mark. This time he makes a jump from €70m to €90m. “In his age class, Gavi is the number one by a huge margin and can extend that lead further,” Spain expert Blaseio said. “He has received international recognition for his achievements by being voted Golden Boy and winning the Kopa trophy. In a troubled environment at Barcelona, as well as in the Spanish national team, he is constantly demonstrating his maturity.”

Almost twice as old as Gavi is Real Madrid veteran Karim Benzema, who will turn 35 in December. Aging like a fine wine, the French forward continues to be in the form of his life and already scored five goals in seven La Liga games this season. His strong performances are also reflected in his market value, which rises from €30m to €35m. There has never been such a big upgrade for a player of his age.

Real Madrid’s Benzema up at age 34 – Huge market value drop for Atlético

“There is no need to say much about his last season, he was deservedly awarded the Ballon d´Or,” Blaseio said. “Actually, maintaining your market value is already a great accomplishment for a player in the final stages of his career. Accordingly, his most recent revaluation is a very special achievement. Benzema also had to be upgraded in relation to Robert Lewandowski, who scores at a higher rate this season and generated a fee of €45m last summer, which is in line with his current market value.”

For former Barça star Antoine Griezmann, there is the eighth downgrade since the 31-year-old held his peak value (€150m) at the end of 2018, despite the France international having improved his form significantly lately. The Atlético returnee is devalued from €35m to €25m and is one of 14 Colchoneros who are down in terms of market value. The most significant drop is suffered by João Félix, who falls from €70m to €50m.

“Griezmann is one of the few players who can hardly be criticised at Atlético at the moment,” Blaseio said. “Performance-wise, he does well, and the drop in market value is mainly due to his advancing age, as well as the end of the transfer drama surrounding the loan from Barcelona. Atlético will pay at least €20m for the Frenchman. There is a lot to be reviewed at the club at the moment, but in Griezmann they have a player who will play a role in Madrid for a number of years to come.” Atlético are Europe’s biggest losers in terms of squad value, dropping from €611m to €520m – a minus of €91m. Head coach Diego Simeone seems to be reaching limits with his style of play after almost eleven highly successful years.

La Liga market values: Real Sociedad biggest winners – Sevilla downgraded

Real Madrid (+€1.5m) are virtually unchanged, Barcelona are down €14m, while Sevilla (-€53.5m) are also among the major losers. The biggest La Liga winners in terms of squad value are Real Sociedad with a plus of €14.2m. In the Basque side, summer signing Brais Méndez is the up-and-comer of the season with a market value increase from €22m to €30m.

“The central midfielder immediately took on a leadership role and may even dream of playing at the World Cup,” Blaseio said. “His potential was already visible at Celta de Vigo for many years, now he shows a rapid development and fits in perfectly at club from San Sebastián with his technique. The €14m transfer fee paid off pretty quickly for Real Sociedad and his newly discovered scoring qualities make him one of the players to watch in the current La Liga season.”

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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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