5 most valuable Serie A players right now according to CIES
With the resurgence of Italy's national football team in recent times, Serie A is seeing an influx of talented youngsters from the country who are making a name for themselves in European football.
The Azzurri's successful Euro 2020 campaign also threw up a few talented youngsters, and brought them to the world's notice. This also inflated their market value, making them some of the most sought-after players in Europe.
The CIES football observatory has released a list of the most valuable players in Serie A. The report considers key factors such as the players' age, recent performances and their respective contract lengths with the clubs they are at. Naturally, the list is dominated by young footballers.
In this article, we take a look at the five most valuable Serie A players right now according to CIES.
#5 Manuel Locatelli (€69.9 million)
Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli is currently the fifth-most valuable player in Serie A, as per CIES. The 24-year-old, who will join Juventus on a permanent basis from Sassuolo after the end of his two-year-long loan spell, is valued at €69.9 million.
The Old Lady will pay €25 million plus 12.5 million in potential add-ons to Sassuolo to permanently acquire the midfielder. Locatelli rose to prominence following his stellar performances in Italy's Euro 2020-winning campaign.
He has scored three goals this season and provided three assists in 24 appearances for Juventus across all competitions.
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#4 Eljif Elmas (€75.1 million)
Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas is currently the fourth-most valuable player in the Italian top flight. The 22-year-old North Macedonia midfielder is valued at €75.1 million by CIES, and is having a breakthrough season of sorts for the Partonopei this term.
Into his third season with Napoli after joining them from Fenerbahce in 2019, Elmas has played 109 matches for the Serie A side. Six of his 10 goals for the club, and three of five assists, have come this season alone.
Elmas can play on either flank as well, which adds to his value. This season in the Europa League, the 22-year-old has been employed on the left flank, from where he has scored three goals.
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