By Paul Nicholson
June 9 – The CIES Football Observatory has released its top 100 ranking of the highest transfer values for big-5 league footballers. Not surprisingly Lionel Messi heads the table with an estimated value of between €255 and €281 million – more than it would cost to buy half the teams in the English Premier League, Aston Villa is reckoned to be on sale for £100 million.
Messi is also valued at more than twice arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo who is five years his senior which will impact on his value. The rankings are for players in Europe’s Big 5 leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
There is change to the table in this transfer window with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard moving ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Barcelona’s Neymar is valued at four while Luis Suarez is a eleventh.
Real Madrid have five players valued in the top 20, compared to Barcelona’s three. Chelsea have five players listed.
Liverpool have two players listed with Raheem Sterling the highest in the list in sixth place and Phillippe Countinho in 17th. Manchester City have one player in the top 20, as do Arsenal and Spurs (Sergio Aguerro, Alexis Sanchis and Harry Kane). Manchester United don’t have any.
Raheem Sterling also comes in at fourth on the ranking of Transfer Probabilities, the first time the CIES has compiled this table.
QPR’s Charlie Austin tops this table with Cagliari’s Albin Ekdal second and Palermo’s Paulo Dybala third.
View the CIES rankings at http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/wp115_eng.pdf
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