With less than four months to the end of the 2018/19 season, there have been some significant rise in the valuation of some players who joined in the summer transfer window, attributed to the scintillating performances that have impacted positively on their clubs.
Around £1.26billion was spent by Premier League clubs in the summer transfer bringing in players from far and near as top-flight clubs attempted to improve their teams.
CIES Football Observatory, a research group, in its recent report reveals names of the most valuable soccer players in Europe’s best leagues.
The report shows players whose current estimated value exceeds the fee paid by recruiting teams during last summer. Rodri Hernández, who moved to Atletico Madrid from Villarreal for a fee of €20million is estimated to be worth €70 million (+€45 million) tops the table for fee-paying transfers ahead of Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira, €30 million, now worth € 74 million (+€44m), while Emre Can who left Liverpool for Juventus on a free transfer (+€45m) heads the rankings for free agents ahead of Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij (+€39m).
Juventus and Liverpool are the only teams with three recruits in the top 20: Emre Can, Cristiano Ronaldo and João Cancelo for Juventus, as well as Xherdan Shaqiri, Alisson Becker and Fabinho Tavares for Liverpool. The excellent performances of both these players and their employer teams explain in large part the magnitude of the gap observed.
Here, we take a look at players whose valuations have increased since arriving England.
The Reds splashed some serious cash on the trio of Alisson, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho in the summer transfer window, but the amazing thing is that these players have shown they are worth even more now.
Liverpool set a new transfer record for a goalkeeper when they signed Alisson from Roma for a whopping £67million ahead of the season.
Chelsea, who parted with £71million to land Spanish shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but the Liverpool transfer showed the Reds are one of the serious contenders for the Premier League title this season later beat this.
In addition to signing a new keeper, Jurgen Klopp also splashed out on £35million midfielder Fabinho and £13million Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri.
These two transfers were considerably more modest – especially the acquisition of Shaqiri – that showed the world that Liverpool have money to spend and can attract top players ahead of their Champions League rivals.
It’s not surprising for Liverpool supporters to learn that Shaqiri’s market value has increased since he signed for just £13million.
The 27-year-old has made an encouraging start at Anfield and has netted seven times in 23 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
According to experts at CIES Football Observatory, Shaqiri’s value has increased by £35.5million to £48.5m.
Fabinho has recently become an increasingly important part of the Reds’ first team, and again justifying the money Liverpool paid in the summer.
It is therefore not too shocking that his transfer value has increased reportedly by £41million, meaning he is now worth £76million.
Alisson has been a revelation since signing for Liverpool, but the extent to which his market value has risen is incredible.
The report claims that the £67million keeper’s new value is £93million – a huge increase of £26million.
Hardly new to the Premier League, the former Stoke City star has raised his performance levels since making the summer switch to Anfield.
The Switzerland international has either scored or assisted in five of Liverpool’s last six matches, leading many supporters urging Jurgen Klopp to keep him in the starting XI.
Of the five players signed by Arsenal in the 2018/2019 summer transfer, the valuation of
Lucas Torreira, who moved from Sampdoria for a fee of £26.4 million and Matteo Guendouzi, £7 million move from FC Lorient have increased significantly. These players have continued to impress since joining the London side club.
Arsenal spent sensibly in the summer and landed a selection of little-known players ahead of Unai Emery’s very first season in charge.
The Gunners splashed out a combined £34.5million on the midfield duo, and, as a result, the pair didn’t have bags of pressure on them to set the world alight this season.
But both Torreira and Guendouzi have racked up a lot of minutes for Arsenal this campaign and were both heavily involved in this weekend’s win over Chelsea.
In fact the pair represents the new direction Emery is trying to take the Gunners in, and Arsenal fans can expect other signings in their mould in the coming years.
The footballing world would agree that the comparatively small fee Arsenal spent on the midfielders makes them very good signings.
But the extent to which their market value has now risen, according to the experts at CIES Football Observatory, suggests they were extremely good signings.
Torreira was signed for £26.5million while Guendouzi joined the Gunners for £8million.
Guendouzi, the 19-year-old midfielder capable of dictating play with his excellent passing range, has settled quickly in north London.
Impressive showings in defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea showed Guendouzi could hold his own in the Premier League, with Gunners fans voting him their Player of the Month for August.
After beginning the season on the bench, Torreira is now one of the first names on Unai Emery’s team-sheet.
Standing only 5’6, the 22-year-old is excellent at snuffing out danger and providing his defence with cover, but he is also a calm distributor of the ball, offering the Arsenal midfield a new dimension they have lacked since the days of Gilberto Silva.
Anthony Nlebem
