Now that 2024 is here, the CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland has published its annual list of the top 100 male players in world football with the highest estimated transfer value.
After running through the top 100 (whose values are based on a statistical algorithm created by examining more than 6,000 transfers around the world), here are our main takeaways, with the annual reminder that the world record for a transfer in men’s football is €222 million (Neymar, Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, 2017.)
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Bellingham would be the most valuable transfer
Given his sublime form since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €103m in the summer, it is no surprise that midfielder Bellingham tops the list, having seen his estimated transfer value soar to €267.5m.
The 20-year-old has been an instant success with a remarkable 17 goals in 22 games in all competitions, while he is also LaLiga’s top scorer with 13 so far.
Madrid are unlikely to part ways with their star man at any point in the foreseeable future, but it’s worth noting that Bellingham’s transfer valuation is almost €15m higher than the second-place player. among the top 100 (Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, €251.2 million). .)
The 🔟 most expensive players* 💵
🥇 @BellinghamJude 🏴 2⃣6⃣8⃣ million euros
🥈 @ErlingHaaland 🇳🇴 €2⃣5⃣1⃣million
🥉 @vinijr 🇧🇷 €2⃣5⃣0⃣million#Rodrigo 🇧🇷 #saka 🏴♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ #foden 🏴♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ #gavi 🇪🇸 #alvarez 🇦🇷 #musiala 🇩🇪 #Odegaard 🇳🇴
*Transfer value according to @CIES_Football model
Up 💯 👉 pic.twitter.com/MmMcxxpnQP— CIES football observations (@CIES_Football) January 4, 2024
Real Madrid has a reserve of young talent
Three of the four best players on the CIES list are Real Madrid stars, with Bellingham joined at the top by his teammate Vinícius Júnior. (250.3 million euros) and Rodrygo (247.9 million euros), which are third and fourth respectively.
The oldest of the trio is Vinícius, who arrives at 23 years old, which shows that Madrid’s first line will be in good hands for some time.
Nine of the top 10 come from either the English Premier League or Spain’s LaLiga, representing a total of four clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal.
After the Madrid trio, Barcelona has a starter in Gavi (7th). As for the Premier League contingent, Manchester City can count on Haaland (2nd), Phil Foden (6th) and Julián Álvarez (8th), while Arsenal have Bukayo Saka (5th ) and Martin Ødegaard (10th).
Jamal Musiala (9th), from Bayern Munich, is the only player from outside the top English and Spanish categories who has managed to access the highest echelons of the CIES ranking. In fact, the trend continues in the top 20, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (20th) being the only player included who plies his trade outside of the Premier League or LaLiga.
The rest of the main European leagues keep in touch
While they barely crack the top 20, the rest of European football’s big five leagues are not far off the pace.
As already noted, Bayern’s Musiala (152.4 million euros) leads the German Bundesliga, as he is just inside the top 10, while the representative of the Italian Serie A is Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (115, 3 million euros), which occupies 21st place.
Elsewhere, French Ligue 1 unsurprisingly boasts PSG striker Kylian Mbappé as its No. 1, but the 24-year-old’s relatively low transfer valuation of €106.2 million (largely due as his contract expires this summer) places him very low in 27th place, below players like Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (€106.8 million) and Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães (€109.7 million).
Gems that can be found beyond the Big Five
While Europe’s big five leagues dominate the top 100, it’s worth noting that there are some top-flight youngsters beyond those boundaries.
According to CIES, Benfica defender António Silva has the highest estimated transfer value in the world (€114.1 million) outside of those leagues. The 20-year-old centre-back is also the highest-rated defender on the list and is ranked 23rd, with Arsenal’s William Saliba (€104.3 million) being his closest rival.
Outside of Europe, the best prospect is 17-year-old Palmeiras star Endrick (€82.7 million). Given Real Madrid’s exemplary track record in searching for the stars of tomorrow, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Brazilian striker has already agreed to sign for The whites for 72 million euros when he turns 18 in the summer.
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Arsenal’s substitute goalkeeper has value
They may have three outfield players in the top 11 (Saka, Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli), but Arsenal can also proudly boast the world’s most valuable goalkeeper among them – and he’s not even the Gunners’ current number one!
Oddly enough, CIES has ranked Aaron Ramsdale (€79.6m) at the top of the tree, even though he played just five times in the league this season and lost his place to David Raya. Furthermore, the English international is one of only two goalkeepers in the top 100: the other is Gregor Kobel, from Borussia Dortmund (77.2 million euros).
Transfer ratings are soaring
It’s no secret that transfer ratings at football’s elite level rise every year, with transfer records seemingly broken in every window, but the CIES list cements the fact that player ratings have absolutely skyrocketed in the space of 12 months.
In fact, compared to the corresponding list compiled by CIES at the beginning of 2023, the number of players with a potential value of more than €100 million has almost doubled from 20 to 39, a clear reflection of the enormous inflation that is taking place. has produced during a calendar year. That has seen Enzo Fernández, Declan Rice, Moisés Caicedo, Bellingham and Harry Kane move for fees in excess of €100 million.
Furthermore, the value of the 100th player among the top 100 is 71.3 million euros (Anthony Gordon, Newcastle), compared to 53.4 million euros in June 2023. And when the CIES drew up the same list in January 2021, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford ranked first. with a value of 165 million euros that would place him eighth on the 2024 list.
