Recently, it appears that football transfers are out of hand. It seems like only yesterday that Paul Pogba became the first ever £100 million player. That type of amount is rather prevalent these days. Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, both defensive midfielders, transferred for nine-figure amounts in the summer transfer window of 2023, with the latter becoming the most expensive Premier League transfer ever.
Given that £100 million now only seems to get you a 21-year-old midfielder with barely a year of English top-flight experience, imagine how much it will cost to recruit the world’s finest players. Transfermarkt’s most recent estimates have revealed the 25 most valued footballers in the world right now, and although some of the figures are clear, some are shocking.
The World’s Most Valuable Footballers, 25-11
Rank
Player
Club
Valuation
25
Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal
£72m (€85m)
24
Ousmane Dembele.
Paris Saint-Germain
£76m (€90m)
23
Khvicha kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain
£76m (€90m)
22
Julian Alvarez
Atletico de Madrid
£76m (€90m)
21
Moise Caicedo
Chelsea
£76m (€90m)
20
Desire Douce
Paris Saint-Germain
£76m (€90m)
19
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan.
£80m (€95m)
18
Phil Foden.
Manchester city
£84m (€100m)
17
Rodrygo
The Real Madrid
£84m (€100m)
16
Alexis Macallister
Liverpool
£84m (€100m)
15
Michael Olise.
Bayern Munich.
£84m (€100m)
14
Rodri
Manchester city
£93m (€110m)
13
Alexandre Isak
Newcastle united
£101m (€120m)
12
Declan Rice
Arsenal
£101m (€120m)
11
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
£101m (€120m)
10Pedri – £101m (€120m)
Barcelona
Those linked with Barcelona have wished for a player who resembled Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, two of the club’s greatest legends. Pedri combines the best of both players, but it is still too early to predict whether he will reach the peaks of his compatriots. He’s off to a strong start, though, as one of Hansi Flick’s key players, alongside Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal.
Although Pedri, widely regarded as one of the top No.8s in international football right now, does not produce outrageous stats in terms of goals or assists, what he brings to the Spanish team is intangible. He’s the tempo dictator in the middle, prepared to take on challenges, and a midfielder who embodies what Barcelona stands for: enthralling football. Whether he’ll ever leave the club is another matter, but would-be purchasers will have to dig deep into their pockets because, at the time of writing, the 22-year-old has a market worth of £101 million (€120 million).
Pedri’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
59
Goals
6
Assists
8
9Federico Valverde – £110m (€130m)
Real Madrid
What makes Real Madrid so special is their capacity to recruit the biggest stars in international football: Kylian Mbappe’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain is one of the most recent examples, but that doesn’t mean they’re not astute in the transfer market. The arrival of the lesser-known Federico Valverde, who first joined Real Madrid in 2016, demonstrates this. He is a master of all trades who can make a difference in the future while remaining defensively steadfast.
A critical component in their constant pursuit of silverware. Year after year, the Uruguayan is an aggressive midfielder that any club may benefit from. The polar antithesis of a headline-grabber, he prefers to go about his job unseen; nonetheless, the 26-year-old has no trouble living up to the No.8 shirt. It will be intriguing to see how Xabi Alonso will use him in the future. He is worth £110 million (€130 million).
Federico Valverde’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
59
Goals
9
Assists
8
8Jamal Musiala – £118m (€140m)
Bayern Munich
Believe it or not, Jamal Musiala was formerly a member of the Chelsea youth academy. The German attended Whitgift School in Croydon before signing for Bayern Munich in 2019. Since then, he has developed into one of football’s most admired young players, and he is now an integral part of Bayern’s squad and the German national team – a story of what could have been for England after rising through the Three Lions’ youth system with Jude Bellingham before taking advantage of his German passport.
Musiala is now widely recognized as one of the world’s top young players, posing a powerful and vicious threat for a member of Europe’s elite at his young age. He was linked with a move to Liverpool in October 2023, but any team looking to sign him will most likely have to pay at least the £118 million (€140 million) he is worth today.
Jamal Musiala’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
40
Goals
18
Assists
8
7Florian Wirtz – £118m (€140m)
Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz, a Liverpool-linked player, was arguably the most vital cog in Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen engine, helping his club win the Bundesliga title in 2023/24 with exactly zero defeats. Although Die Werkself did not fare as well in the next season, the attacking midfielder remained impressive, and a move to Anfield now appears probable.
At 22 years old, he could be forgiven for displaying anxiety and anxiousness on occasion. Wirtz, on the other hand, is wise beyond his years, and with a supreme innate talent to know exactly what to do with the ball in any circumstance offered to him, the North Rhine-born orchestrator is prepared for the big occasion. As a result, he has become the subject of a transfer saga this summer; whether he can produce in the Premier League remains to be seen.
Florian Wirtz’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
45
Goals
16
Assists
15
6Bukayo Saka – £126m (€150m)
Arsenal
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is one of England’s best players in recent years, and he is worth an eye-catching £126 million (€150 million). The Englishman inked a new four-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2027, and when combined with further excellent performances in 2024/25 for Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Gunners, it’s easy to see why his value is so high right now.
Arteta’s team is currently one of the best in Europe, and Saka was the driving force behind the Gunners’ title chase, despite barely losing out in three consecutive seasons. Saka is one of the Premier League’s top wingers, and unlike Phil Foden, he is a consistent performer for his country, shining at Euro 2024 and contributing in crucial occasions. His injuries last season just highlighted how important he is to Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
37
Goals
12
Assists
14
5Kylian Mbappe – £143m (€170m)
Real Madrid
After finally putting pen to paper on the drawn-out process of becoming a Real Madrid player, Kylian Mbappe aspires to play in the Champions League someday. Widely regarded as the best footballer since the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi duopoly ended, the Frenchman already has a World Cup and six league titles to his record, and extra space in his trophy cabinet will be required to accommodate his coming triumph in the Spanish capital.
Although he is valued at £143 million (€170 million), Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos signed him on a free transfer when he was out of contract at PSG, implying that whatever they sell him for will be pure profit. However, it is improbable that the Spanish juggernaut will cut ways with the Frenchman at this time. They did, however, pay Mbappe a massive nine-figure signing-on fee, in addition to his high monthly salary.
Kylian Mbappe’s 2024/25 Statistics
Games
56
Goals
43
Assists
5
When Vinicius Junior first joined Real Madrid, he was predicted to be the next Neymar, and he has more than lived up to the expectations. Despite having a difficult time scoring goals in his first two seasons with the team, he has grown into one of the most productive wingers in world football. After striking the nail in Dortmund’s coffin in the 2023–24 Champions League final at Wembley, the Brazilian proved he is as creative as he is clinical, reaching double digits for goals and assists in the last two La Liga seasons.
Together with Bellingham, Vinicius has emerged as the club’s biggest star after Karim Benzema left. The swift and nimble wide player never allows an opponent full-back relax because he never turns off, which makes defenders fear facing him. With his current form, he has joined Haaland as the most valuable football player in the world, and he came incredibly close to winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
Stats for Vinicius Junior in 2024–2025
Games
20
Objectives
15.
Helps
6.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2027
3Jude Bellingham – £152m
Real Madrid
In recent years, Jude Bellingham has become one of the world’s top players. The Englishman joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 for a basic transfer fee of £88.5 million. He was handed the number five jersey at the Santiago Bernabeu, which was previously worn by legendary player Zinedine Zidane.
Has he carried on Zidane’s legacy by wearing his iconic jersey? Everything is going OK so far. Bellingham, who is only 21 years old, has quickly established himself as one of Madrid’s most vital players. Despite beginning in midfield his first season, he scored 20 goals in all competitions by spring. The former Dortmund star is already regarded as one of the best English players to have played overseas, and this successful comeback demonstrates why.
Jude Bellingham’s statistics for 2024–2025
Games
18
Objectives
3.
Helps
6.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2029
4Kylian Mbappe – £152m
Real Madrid
Following the lengthy and arduous process of becoming a Real Madrid player, Kylian Mbappe will be hoping to finally win the European Cup. The Frenchman, who has already won six league titles and a World Cup, is widely regarded as the best football player since the end of the duopoly between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He will need to make more room in his trophy cabinet to accommodate his upcoming success in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid signed him on a free move because his contract with PSG was over, despite the fact that he is worth £152 million. But in addition to his high weekly salary, they paid Mbappe a hefty nine-figure signing-on fee.
Stats for Kylian Mbappe in 2024–2025
Games
19.
Objectives
10.
Helps
2.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2029
5Lamine Yamal – £126m
Barcelona
At the young age of 17, Lamine Yamal has already established himself as one of the top wingers in the world of football. The Barcelona player’s ascent has been so remarkable that not even Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo had left the same impression at such a young age as Yamal.
Yamal started all but one of La Roja’s games on the way to victory in Germany, and he played more than 50 games for Barcelona last season—only Ilkay Gundogan made more appearances. He was also given a significant part for Spain in Euro 2024. Given his stellar start to the 2024–25 season, Yamal has a bright future ahead of him. His value has continued to soar, and it would be shocking if he didn’t eventually become the most valuable football player in the world.
Lamine Yamal’s Statistics for 2023–2024
Games
21
Objectives
7.
Helps
9.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2026
6Phil Foden – £126m
Manchester City
Phil Foden of Manchester City, who is worth £126 million, is ranked sixth on the list. In his career, the 24-year-old has already played more than 200 games for Manchester City and won 17 trophies, including a record treble in the 2022–2023 season, which was also his best-ever campaign.
Foden is one of the top dribblers in the game and is regarded as one of the most technically talented English players of this age. He still has time to improve. There is still plenty of time for Foden to make a comeback, even though his 2024–25 campaign has started a little slowly and he hasn’t had the same impact as usual.
Stats for Phil Foden in 2024–2025
Games
17
Objectives
3.
Helps
2.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2027
7Bukayo Saka – £118m
Arsenal
Bukayo Saka, the standout player for Arsenal, is right behind his countryman Foden. You can see why the Englishman is so valuable right now when you consider that he recently inked a new four-year contract that will keep him with the team until 2027. He also had additional outstanding 2023–2024 performances for the Gunners.
Despite only missing out on triumph to Foden’s City, Saka was the driving force behind the Gunners’ title charge, and Mikel Arteta’s club is currently among the best in Europe. Saka is among the Premier League’s top wingers and, in contrast to Foden, he consistently delivers for his nation. He made an impression at Euro 2024 and played a significant role.
Statistics for Bukayo Saka in 2024–2025
Games
18
Objectives
7.
Helps
11.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2027
8Florian Wirtz – £110m
Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz, arguably the most crucial component of Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen machine, played a key role in his team’s Bundesliga title-winning campaign, which included exactly zero losses.
He may be excused for occasionally displaying anxiety and worry at the age of 21. But Wirtz is knowledgeable beyond his years, and the orchestrator from the North Rhine is prepared for the major events because he has a remarkable innate ability to know exactly what to do with the ball in every situation that comes up. This might perhaps make him the target of a summer transfer slugging, although there might not be a better team at the moment for him to continue growing than Leverkusen.
Stats for Florian Wirtz in 2024–2025
Games
21
Objectives
9.
Helps
5.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2027
9Jamal Musiala – £110m
Bayern Munich
It may surprise you to learn that Jamal Musiala was formerly a member of the Chelsea youth academy. Before joining Bayern Munich in 2019, the German attended Whitgift in Croydon. Since then, he has grown into one of the most admired young players in football and is now a vital member of both the German national team and Bayern’s squad. His story of what might have been for England is a tale of how he progressed through the Three Lions’ youth system with Jude Bellingham before using his German passport.
One of the top young players in the world right now, Musiala is a squirmy and vicious threat for a young player from Europe’s top league. In October 2023, he was linked to a move to Liverpool; however, any team hoping to get him will probably need to pay at least the £110 million he is currently worth.
Stats for Jamal Musiala in 2024–2025
Games
18
Objectives
10.
Helps
3.
The contract ends.
June 30, 2026
10Rodri – £110m
It’s hard to argue that Rodri isn’t currently the world’s top midfield player. He took a little while to regain his best form after joining Manchester City in 2019, although he didn’t exactly struggle. However, he has been outstanding in the past two years, contributing to City’s 2022–2023 treble victory and scoring the game-winning goal against Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
The following season, Rodri remained at the same level as Pep Guardiola’s team won the Premier League for the fourth time in a row. In the summer of 2024, Rodri saw victory on the international front as Spain defeated England to win the European Championship. Rodri will miss the rest of the 2024–25 season due to an ACL injury, but City’s collapse without him just serves to highlight how vital he is.
Rodri’s Stats for 2024–2025
Games
3.
Objectives
0
Helps
0
The contract ends.
June 30, 2027
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