January 6 – With the January transfer window starting to warm-up the player market, the CIES Football Observatory has released its latest ranking of the 120 big-5 league players with the highest transfer values.
The CIES list measures value of players in the English premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and Ligue 1 in France (Europe’s ‘big-5’ leagues).
Argentinean Lionel Messi tops the list with a €220 million transfer value, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo who is a massive €87 million behind him in second place on €133 million. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is third, €121 million behind Messi.
CIES calculates transfer values using its own algorithm developed using the data of more than 1,500 fee paying transfers made since 2009. The variables player performances (matches, goals, dribbles, etc), player characteristics (age, position, contract duration, etc), as well as competition level and results achieved by their teams (clubs and national sides).
Transfer value ranking, January 2015
Source: CIES Football Observatory
Of the Top 20 players in the ranking, nine are at English clubs, eight at Spanish clubs, two in Germany and one in Italy. The highest ranked player at a French club is Edinson Cavani and equal 25th.
In terms of clubs with the most players in the top 120, Real Madrid head the list with 10 players and a total value of €410 million.
All the players on the list are on long-term contracts running through to 2018 or 2019 with only Eden Hazard and seventh ranked Raheem Sterling in the top 20 with contracts that end in 2017.
The full ranking can be viewed at http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/wp93_eng.pdf
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1735002778labto1735002778ofdlr1735002778owedi1735002778sni@n1735002778osloh1735002778cin.l1735002778uap1735002778