Market values MLS: Slonina now in top 10 of his age group – Koné with biggest increase

114 players updated 

Gabriel Slonina is considered one of the biggest goalkeeper talents on the planet and has already been linked with transfers to Chelsea and Juventus. The 17-year-old also prominently features among the 114 Major League Soccer players and four MLS Next Pro players updated as part of the Transfermarkt intermediary update. The focus in this update was primarily on new signings and talents and older players that have seen their market value drop. 

Slonina certainly deserves the headline. The Chicago Fire keeper featured as part of the Transfermarkt talents calendar in December 2021. Slonina managed 11 starts last season and this year leads the league with three clean sheets after matchday 4. No surprise then that European clubs are interested. Not that Slonina is in a rush to leave MLS. “Right now, that’s far in the future,” Slonina said in the TM interview in December. “I want to show that I belong in this league. But I want to win all the awards in the future, go to Europe and all that. But that is only possible if I put in the work every day.”

At the time of the interview, the Chicago keeper was the most valuable goalkeeper born in 2004 but was then surpassed by Russian keeper Daniil Khudyakov ($660,000). But with a plus of 500% from $550,000 to $3.3 million, Slonina is not only once again the most valuable keeper born in 2004 but also jumps into the top 10 most valuable U17 players in the world (overview). 

MLS Market values: Ismaël Koné up by 1900% – CanMNT talent on the rise

Slonina is one of many young American talents to watch. Other names include Philadelphia Union talents Paxten Aaronson (from $1.65m to $3.3m), Jack McGlynn (from $880,000 to $1.65m), and Atlanta United left-back Caleb Wiley. The 17-year-old receives his first market value and now stands at $1.1 million. 

This update has also noted the rise of a new North American powerhouse. On Sunday, the Canadian men’s national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. Among the key players in the World Cup qualification cycle were CF Montréal defenders Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller. Johnston saw his market value improve by 20% to now $3.3 million, and only Miller’s market value made a bigger jump. The 24-year-old saw his market value improve by 66.7% to now $2.75 million. 

Another Montréal player, in the meantime, had the biggest increase of the market value update. Ismaël Koné burst onto the scene this season. The 19-year-old played amateur football just a few months ago, but after sensational performances in MLS and the Concacaf Champions League was called up by national team head coach John Herdman and capped in Canada’s 1-0 loss to Costa Rica on March 25. Koné is considered perhaps the biggest midfield talent in this country, and his market value jumped by 1900% to now $1.1 million. Koné indeed leads a new generation of Canadian talent that also includes young Toronto FC stars Jayden Nelson (from $990,000 to $2.75m) and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty ($1.65m to $3.3m). 

Market values MLS: Douglas Costa with a new career low

Transfermarkt has also made adjustments for new signings. That also means that there was some slight movement at the top. New Atlanta United star Thiago Almada, for example, dropped slightly by 10% to more closely reflect the $16 million transfer fee. The Argentine remains the most valuable player in MLS, with a market value of $19.8 million. Similar adjustments were made for FC Dallas’ Alan Velasco (from $13.2m to $11m) and new Chicago star Xherdan Shaqiri (from $8.8m to $7.7m). 

In other cases, age was a factor. In the winter, former Bayern Munich and Juventus star Douglas Costa joined Los Angeles Galaxy in a loan-to-buy deal. The 31-year-old Brazilian has been on a decline for some time and dropped to $3.85 million, his lowest career market value. Age also paid a factor for Inter Miami CF striker Gonzalo Higuaín ($3.85m to $2.2m) and New England Revolution veteran forward Jozy Altidore ($880,000 to $550,000). 

Finally, new in the top 10 is Argentine striker Valentín Castellanos. The New York City FC striker was the league’s golden boot winner in 2021 and was voted MLS player of the year by the Transfermarkt community. The forward jumped from $7.7 million to $13.2 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).

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