A prominent research group in Switzerland put together a list of “estimated transfer values” for the most expensive footballers in Europe – and there is no room for 32-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the top 100.
Football think tank CIES Football Observatory adopts a “scientific approach” to its methodology, taking into consideration six factors when putting a price on the head Europe’s top players:
Player performance: The quality and consistency of their form Player performance in relation to their club: Are they the star player? International status: How established are they for their country? Contract: Players with longer deals are more expensive Age: Younger players command higher fees Position: Goal scorers are more expensive than goalkeepers
Here are the 25 most valuable footballers the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. They are ranked in ascending order.
25: Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur — €82.5 million (£73 million)
24: Edinson Cavani, Paris Saint-Germain — €82.8 million (£73.25 million)
23: Diego Costa, Chelsea FC — €83.4 million (£73.75 million)
22: Sergio Agüero, Manchester City — €83.6 million (£74 million)
21: Eric Dier, Tottenham Hotspur — €85 million (£75.2 million)
20: Roberto Firmino, Liverpool FC — €85.3 million (£75.55 million)
19: Ousmane Dembélé, Borussia Dortmund — €87.1 million (£77 million)
18: Kylian Mbappé, AS Monaco — €92.6 million (£82 million)
17: Alexis Sánchez, Arsenal FC — €95.9 million (£85 million)
16: Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Atlético Madrid — €97.6 million (£86.3 million)
15: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City — €98.8 million (£87.4 million)
14: Robert Lewandowski, FC Bayern München — €100.6 million (£89 million)
13: Romelu Lukaku, Everton FC — €105.4 million (£93.25 million)
12: Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City — €110.5 million (£97.75 million)
11: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid CF — €112.4 million (£99.5 million)
10: Paulo Dybala, Juventus — €115.3 million (£102 million)
9: Eden Hazard, Chelsea — €117.2 million (£103.75 million)
8: Gonzalo Higuaín, Juventus — €120.2 million (£106.4 million)
7: Paul Pogba, Manchester United — €134.3 million (£119 million)
6: Luis Suárez, FC Barcelona — €140.8 million (£125 million)
5: Antoine Griezmann, Atlético Madrid — €150.3 million (£133 million)
4: Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona — €151.7 million (£134.25 million)
3: Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur — €153.6 million (£136 million)
2: Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur — €155.1 million (£137.25 million)
1: Neymar Júnior, FC Barcelona — €210.7 million (£186.5 million)
