Players with the highest estimated transfer values in world football

  • CIES Football Observatory have produced estimated values for the world's best players
  • Only one player outside of England and Spain is part of the ten most valuable assets
  • Real Madrid and Man City are the clubs with the highest-valued players
Real Madrid have several stars that are valued highly
Real Madrid have several stars that are valued highly / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages
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It's fair to say that the transfer market has gone, well, bonkers in recent years.

We now regularly see transfer fees of over £100m, with two such deals taking place in the Premier League just last summer. As more and more money rolls in, player values continue to skyrocket.

Thanks to CIES Football Observatory, we can see the most valuable players in the game. Their statistical model predicts a footballer's expected transfer value in the modern market, with the final total influenced by various factors, including contract length, age and past deals.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the ten players with the highest transfer values in world football.


10. Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard has been wonderful for Mikel Arteta / Clive Rose/GettyImages

Club: Arsenal
Transfer value: £150.6m

The first of two Arsenal players in the top ten for transfer value, a deal for Martin Odegaard would, hypothetically, set any prospective buyer back a little over £150m. Given the Norwegian cost the Gunners approximately £30m, it remains a sensational piece of business.

More importantly, Odegaard continues to be one of the most influential and creative midfielders in the Premier League and was one of the north London club's best players during their title tilt with Manchester City last season.

While he hasn't been in quite as sparkling form this term, he has still been a key contributor for Mikel Arteta and signed a new contract in September 2023.


9. Jamal Musiala

FC Bayern München v TSG Hoffenheim - Bundesliga
Jamal Musiala continues to sparkle in Munich / Marcel Engelbrecht - firo sportphoto/GettyImages

Club: Bayern Munich
Transfer value: £152.4m

The dancing feet of Bayern Munich's young prodigy make him one of the most exquisite footballers to watch. Jamal Musiala even provided the Bundesliga-winning goal for the German outfit on the final day of last season, showing his ability to come up clutch for Thomas Tuchel's side.

One that Chelsea let get away from their academy, he's exactly the sort of player the Blues would now buy for a ludicrous sum - or £152.4m to be precise.

That figure is only likely to rise in coming years, with Musiala capable of developing into a truly elite attacking midfielder.


8. Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez is already a World Cup winner / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Club: Manchester City
Transfer value: £164.7m

A World Cup winner at just 23 years old, Julian Alvarez announced himself to the world last season. While he didn't produce the eye-catching statistical output of strike partner Erling Haaland, he remained an integral part of Pep Guardiola's treble-winning side.

The Argentine has developed even further this season, stepping up when Man City's hulking Norwegian has been absent. A tactically intelligent forward, his versatility and technical prowess make him an incredibly tough player to stop in full flow.


7. Gavi

Pablo Martin Paez Gaviria 'Gavi'
Gavi is currently sidelined with a significant injury / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages

Club: Barcelona
Transfer value: £175.4m

Still just a teenager, Gavi's transfer value certainly won't increase over the next six months. The Spaniard suffered a season-ending injury earlier this term on international duty, even putting his participation at Euro 2024 in doubt.

Hopefully, the extremely talented midfielder can find his feet again quickly upon his return, but there is the possibility that his estimated transfer value will drop in the coming months.

However, the 19-year-old wonderkid remains a sensational footballer and someone who has an astonishing £866m release clause in his contract with Barcelona.


6. Phil Foden

Phil Foden
Foden has already won it all / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Club: Manchester City
Transfer value: £195.8m

Another Man City starlet who dazzled in a historic season for the English club, Phil Foden is unsurprisingly among the top ten most valuable assets in world football.

With an expected fee of just under £200m required for his services, there is no chance that the midfielder will leave the Etihad Stadium any time soon.


5. Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka
Saka is key to Arsenal / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Club: Arsenal
Transfer value: £223.0m

Arsenal's most valuable player, Bukayo Saka's price tag just increases and increases with every passing month. The winger was unstoppable last term and has picked up from where left off this campaign.

The 22-year-old is valued at £223m on the dot, although the Gunners would be unlikely to entertain any offers for the English dynamo.

Saka managed 26 goal contributions in 48 appearances last season from the right flank and racked up 20 before the halfway mark of the current campaign.


4. Rodrygo

Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo has flourished in Spain / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

Club: Real Madrid
Transfer value: £247.9m

While he remains somewhat in the shadow of fellow Real Madrid attacker and Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior, the energetic Rodrygo has been a huge asset for the Spanish side since his arrival.

Not only has he taken up the mantle when Vinicius has been missing, he's provided some huge moments in the white of Madrid, including that dramatic late double in the 2021/22 Champions League semi-final that helped Los Blancos to a 14th European Cup.

Valued at just under £250m, the 23-year-old continues to flourish in the Spanish capital.


3. Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Junior
Vinicius is among the world's best / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages

Club: Real Madrid
Transfer value: £250.3m

Only valued slightly higher than Rodrygo, the former Flamengo attacker has become an irrepressible force for Madrid. His brilliance was summed up by a first-half hat-trick in the 2024 Supercopa de Espana final against Barcelona.

The Brazilian also scored the winner in a Champions League final back in 2022 and has gone from strength to strength at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Vinicius' electric pace, explosive dribbling and clinical edge make him a world-beating threat for Madrid and Brazil.


2. Erling Haaland

Erling Braut Håland
Haaland helped City to the treble / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Club: Manchester City
Transfer value: £251.2m

Unfortunate not to claim his first Ballon d'Or during Man City's treble-winning campaign, Erling Haaland has scored with robotic frequency at the Etihad since his arrival.

The Norwegian smashed the record for goals in a single Premier League season as he helped Guardiola's side to the title, finishing the campaign with 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions.

The freakishly efficient forward is valued at just over £250m and he is worth every penny of that, although Man City managed to secure his signature for much less.


1. Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has been sensational at Madrid / Mateo Villalba/GettyImages

Club: Real Madrid
Transfer value: £267.5m

The most valuable footballer on the planet, there can be no denying Jude Bellingham's excellence. The midfielder had blossomed at Borussia Dortmund but has taken his game to a whole new level at Madrid.

The summer signing has piled up the goals by playing much further up the pitch at the Bernabeu. Bellingham has even been used as a shadow striker this term, underling his versatility and intelligence.

Bellingham's maturity and technical qualities make him arguably the most exciting player in world football and someone you would pay good money to watch week after week.

However, the Englishman's place at number one may be under threat when Kylian Mbappe makes his next move or signs a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain.


30 highest estimated transfer values in world football

Player

Club

Nation

Estimated value

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

England

£267.5m

Erling Haaland

Man City

Norway

£251.2m

Vinicius Jr

Real Madrid

Brazil

£250.3m

Rodrygo

Real Madrid

Brazil

£247.9m

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

England

£223.0m

Phil Foden

Man City

England

£195.8m

Gavi

Barcelona

Spain

£175.4m

Julian Alvarez

Man City

Argentina

£164.7m

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich

Germany

£152.4m

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

Norway

£150.6m

Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal

Brazil

£148.2m

Federico Valverde

Real Madrid

Uruguay

£140.7m

Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

Hungary

£138.6m

Marcus Rashford

Man Utd

England

£136.2m

Eduardo Camavinga

Real Madrid

France

£132.7m

Pedri

Barcelona

Spain

£125.2m

Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

Argentina

£123.6m

Rodri

Man City

Spain

£121.8m

Darwin Nunez

Liverpool

Uruguay

£117.6m

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

Germany

£117.0m

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Napoli

Georgia

£115.3m

Rafael Leao

Milan

Portugal

£114.2m

Antonio Silva

Benfica

Portugal

£114.1m

Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig

Netherlands

£112.5m

Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle

Brazil

£109.7m

Kai Havertz

Arsenal

Germany

£106.8m

Kylian Mbappe

PSG

France

£106.2m

Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool

Argentina

£105.1m

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

England

£104.9m

William Saliba

Arsenal

France

£104.2m


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