Top 5 most valuable strikers in the world right now
In football, strikers have always been the most known and the most valuable players. Mostly, strikers have gone on to win many individual accolades like the Ballon d'Or. Teams have found match-winning players in strikers and have often been built around a star striker.
Over the past decade, we have seen two strikers dominate the game. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have gone on to win the Ballon d'Or five times each. They have been a delight to watch and have come up with many match-winning performances. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been so dependent on Ronaldo and Messi that their teams have been built around them. They have had a say in which players the clubs should buy in the transfer window.
However, both of these players are now ageing and with new young talented forwards coming into the game, it is important to look at the 5 most valuable forwards in the world right now.
Disclaimer: All the market values have been taken from www.transfermarkt.com. Please also note that this list only includes Centre forwards and second strikers. No wingers are included in this list.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku (100 Million Euros)
Position: Centre-Forward
At #5, we have a tie between Ronaldo and Lukaku with both being valued at €100 million.
The Real Madrid star man recently completed a move to Juventus in the range of about 100 million euros that shook the world. It was hard for Real Madrid fans to believe that their star man had gone. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was instrumental in Real Madrid’s European dominance (they won the Champions League 3 times in a row). Ronaldo came up with some brilliant goals at crucial times that helped Real Madrid win some close matches. Amongst the best was his hat-trick against the German club Vfl Wolfsburg in the quarterfinals of the 2015-16 Champions League that helped overcome a first leg 2-0 deficit.
In the La Liga, in the 2017-18 season, Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 25 appearances. He created a total of 41 chances, had a shot accuracy of 56% and pass accuracy of 81%. Indeed, what makes Ronaldo so valuable is his clinical finishing which includes both long shots and headers.
Having signed a four- year contract with Juventus, it is unlikely that Ronaldo will go on to play for any other major European club. Yet, at 33, he still has a lot to offer and even a market value of 100 million euros may perhaps be less for him.
The other player tied at number 5, Romelu Lukaku had a good first season with Manchester United. In a total of 33 appearances for Manchester United in the EPL, he scored 14 goals and created 28 chances. He had a shot accuracy of 62% and pass accuracy of 69%.
Being only 25 years old, Lukaku still hasn't reached his full potential. There could be an increase in his market value in the future if he can improve his performances.