5 most valuable footballers in the world right now according to CIES - January 2022
It has come as no surprise how much money Europe's finest clubs are willing to spend just to get the right recruits for their team. But how much money is the right money? Case in point - Real Madrid's initial bid for Kylian Mbappe started off with €160 million, which was rejected.
Their second bid was a whopping €200 million, which was again rejected. Who decides the valuation of a particular player? How did they come to that conclusion?
The CIES Football Observatory is a research group within the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES), an independent study center located in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The CIES Football Observatory specializes in statistical analysis of football. It was created in 2005 by Dr. Raffaele Poli and Dr. Loïc Ravenel. Their mission is to advance the frontiers of knowledge for the sustainable development of football worldwide.
Since 2013, the CIES Football Observatory has developed a powerful econometric approach to assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis. You can access it here. This tool presents price ranges for all top-five league players with a sufficient level of experience.
On that note, take a look at the top 5 most valuable footballers in the world right now, according to CIES:
#5 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) - €133 million
Florian Wirtz took the world by storm when he became the youngest Bundesliga goalscorer at 17 years, 34 days old against Bayern Munich in June 2020. He may have since lost this record to Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko (16 years and 28 days).
However, Wirtz added another feather to his cap when he became the youngest player in Bundesliga history to score at least 10 goals aged 18 years and 146 days.
Which Florian Wirtz celebration do you like best?💫 https://t.co/igLOCuvK9k
Wirtz, in the current Bundesliga season, has played 16 matches, netting five goals and eight assists. This speaks highly of not just his goalscoring abilities but also his skill as a playmaker, making him a really special player indeed and further justifying his €133 million valuation.
Manchester United have been linked with interest in snapping him up. Will they be able to strike a deal with the German club in the summer? We'll have to wait and watch.
#4 Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) - €134 million
Manchester United have an enviable reputation for giving youngsters a chance to come up the ranks. So it was no surprise when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former United manager, decided to place his faith in Mason Greenwood.
And Greenwood did not disappoint, becoming the club's youngest goalscorer in European competitions at 17 years and 353 days. However, the 20-year-old is off to a slow start in the 2021-22 season, scoring just four goals and contributing one assist after 15 games.
This boy is so special @masongreenwood
#MUNWOL https://t.co/r3DmlZiFqm
There is no doubt about Greenwood's ability as a player for the big stages and the interest from clubs like Arsenal and Juventus is proof of that. But with interim Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick's recent comments about him, will he be on his way out?
The Englishman is currently valued at €134 million by the CIES and it remains to be seen if his future lies away from Old Trafford in the near future.