Ranking the 25 Players Whose Transfer Values Have Increased Most This Season
So much can happen in one season of football. Careers can be ignited but also fall by the wayside; expensive transfers can pan out perfectly or flop dramatically; and players can surge from nowhere to become major influencers in the sport—just take Marcus Rashford as your prime example from last term.
This week, Bleacher Report is taking stock of the players who have done their reputation a world of good this season, putting in stunning performances and adding millions to their own valuations.
We've scoured Europe's top five leagues for the 25 players whose values have increased the most, with many looking rather attractive potential acquisitions ahead of the 2017 summer transfer window.
Valuations have been estimated with the current market climate in mind. It's an inexact science, but those who transferred last summer have their fees as a base value, and others have had their situations thoroughly analysed to hash out a potential price.
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25. Maxime Lopez, Marseille (+£13 million)
For a player this young to be running games is impressive no matter the scenario. Given Lopez is managing amid a backdrop of Marseille chaos, it's all the more impressive.
24. Marc Bartra, Borussia Dortmund (+£14 million)
Signed for a bargain fee in the region of £7 million due to Barcelona's negligent approach to playing-time clauses in contracts (hello, Thiago Alcantara), Bartra is proving how good he is at Dortmund.
23. Suso, AC Milan (+£15 million)
Suso flashed potential on loan at Genoa last season so will have been worth a little something, but few could have foreseen how integral he's become to AC Milan so quickly under Vincenzo Montella.
22. Wylan Cyprien, Nice (+£15 million)
Few had heard of Cyprien ahead of this season, but as Nice's strikers have dropped like flies, this midfield man has stepped up and kept the club's Ligue 1 title challenge alive.
21. Paulo Dybala, Juventus (+£20 million)
There seems to be a general acceptance that Paulo Dybala will move from Juventus to Barcelona or Real Madrid at some point, but every year they wait, the more expensive he gets.
20. Ander Herrera, Manchester United (+£20m)
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Estimated Current Value: £40 million
Estimated Difference: £20 million
Despite the hype around Zlatan Ibrahimovic's first season at Manchester United and the excitement over Paul Pogba's highlights (or lowlights, if you support an opposing team), their most consistently impressive player this season has been Ander Herrera.
For whatever reason, Louis van Gaal didn't make appropriate use of him, and it felt as if Jose Mourinho took up his post at the club thoroughly unconvinced, too. But his performances over the course of 2016-17 so far have been nothing short of stellar, and he's probably doubled his price tag in the process.
Last summer, he was potentially expendable. This summer? The bidding would likely start at £40 million.
19. Serge Gnabry, Werder Bremen (+£20m)
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Estimated Current Value: £25 million
Estimated Difference: £20 million
What Serge Gnabry has managed to do in six months with regard to resurrecting his career is nothing short of astonishing. It should serve as a lesson to all footballers that all situations are salvageable.
Gnabry was barely used by Arsenal—he was sent on loan to West Bromwich Albion at the start of the 2015 season but did not play—and headed into the summer of 2016 with his stock at an all-time low. But a great performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics paved the way for Werder Bremen to take a punt on him at £5 million. Oh, how they've been rewarded.
With 10 Bundesliga goals to his name already, largely coming from a wide position, the fee has already been repaid, and Werder will be bracing themselves for interest far earlier than expected. What's his going rate now? At least five times what was paid for him back in August.
18. Benjamin Mendy, Monaco (+£20m)
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Estimated Current Value: £30 million
Estimated Difference: £20 million
Benjamin Mendy isn't even one year into a five-year contract with Monaco, having signed from Marseille last summer for around £10 million, but the vultures are already starting to circle.
The Mirror's Tom Hopkinson reported in February that Manchester City are tracking him ahead of a summer window in which they're expect to reload their full-back corps, but to purchase Mendy now would require a lot of dough.
Speedy, powerful, positive full-backs who can bully their way forward but also defend their corner aren't common, so the Frenchman's valuation this summer will be high. £30 million should be the minimum.
17. Roberto Gagliardini, Inter Milan (+£21m)
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Estimated Current Value: £25 million
Estimated Difference: £21 million
Roberto Gagliardini entered this season aged 22 and with just a handful of Serie A appearances to his name with Atalanta. He'd spent most of his fledgling career thus far out on loan in the lower divisions and was still something of an unknown quantity.
But Atalanta finally decided to install him into the first-team, and half a season later, he's Inter Milan's new midfield general, having secured a move for a fee which could rise to €27 million depending on bonuses, per Football Italia.
Already he's won the hearts of the San Siro crowd, combining slick passing and a cool head under pressure with a genuine goal threat. It caps quite the turnaround in his fortunes given his stock back in August 2016.
16. Mattia Caldara, Juventus (on Loan at Atalanta) (+£22m)
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Estimated Current Value: £24 million
Estimated Difference: £22 million
For Mattia Caldara, much of the aforementioned Gagliardini story applies. He began the season as something of an Atalanta rookie despite being 22 years of age, and he had spent much of the last two seasons out on loan.
But a fast start to 2016-17 at the heart of the Bergamo side's defence saw Juventus signal their interest, and a deal was hashed out for a potential £22 million fee. That's a huge amount for a player who, six months ago, didn't really register on the Serie A richter scale—let alone the world football one.
15. Mohamed Salah, Roma (+£22m)
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Estimated Current Value: £35 million
Estimated Difference: £22 million
Mohamed Salah joined Roma on a permanent deal last summer for a fee in the region of £13 million from Chelsea, and it's become immediately clear that fee represented a bargain.
The Stamford Bridge chapter of his career may forever be shrouded in mystery, though the fact Jose Mourinho frequently buys and then ignores wingers may have something to do with his failing to make the grade there. Either way, it helped the Giallorossi negotiate a situation in which they bought a star player for a small fee.
Roma looked a lesser team while Salah was driving Egypt to the Africa Cup of Nations final during January and February; they lacked the breakaway speed he so often torments Serie A defences with and had to reconfigure as a result.
14. Victor Moses, Chelsea (+£23m)
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Estimated Current Value: £30 million
Estimated Difference: £23 million
Last summer, West Ham United declined the option to take Victor Moses permanently following a so-so loan spell. Chelsea's intention seemed to be to send him back out on loan again, but Antonio Conte put a stop to it and trialled him during pre-season.
Now the situation is different. Armed with a brand-new contract and fuelled with managerial faith, Moses is on his way to completing by far the best-ever season he's played. He's a key cog in a Chelsea machine that looks certain to win the Premier League title, and it will complete one of the most remarkable personal turnarounds in recent history.
Last summer, had a club offered around £8 million for Moses, most fans would have pressured the club to accept. Now, that fee is but a quarter of what it would likely take to dislodge him.
13. Marco Asensio, Real Madrid (+£25m)
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Estimated Current Value: £40 million
Estimated Difference: £25 million
Marco Asensio's value has rocketed this season solely due to the fact he has now played for Real Madrid. That's what happens when you don the famous "Blanco" shirt.
It helps that he's been genuinely impressive, of course, and to nab almost 600 La Liga minutes when you play attacking midfield in this star-studded squad is quite the achievement. Back in August, he was mostly potential, but now we've seen how good he is and how great he might become.
There will have been some clubs sniffing around him last summer, and it's also possible Real Madrid were deliberating over a potential sale-plus-buy-back (Alvaro Morata-style). No longer; he's a first-team fixture and, at 21 years of age, now boasts huge market value.
12. Thomas Lemar, Monaco (+£25m)
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Estimated Current Value: £50 million
Estimated Difference: £25 million
Atletico Madrid took a long look at Thomas Lemar last summer, according to The Sun, but saw a final bid of £20 million knocked back. A wise move by Monaco, it seems, as the Frenchman's value has soared this season thanks to a stunning campaign, and he is worth at least double that now.
Lemar's seven goals and six assists from 24 Ligue 1 appearances don't quite do him justice, as his genius is borne out of his fleet-footed movements and great decision-making. He scores and assists, but he also links play brilliantly, drifts into devastating areas and keeps attacks ticking.
There won't be a shopping list in Europe he's not on this summer.
11. Emil Forsberg, RB Leipzig (+£25m)
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Estimated Current Value: £35 million
Estimated Difference: £25 million
Emil Forsberg's seven goals and 10 assists in the Bundesliga this season represent phenomenal output; they're the kind of statistics that justify the new contract RB Leipzig handed him earlier this year.
As is the case with many of the German side's star performers, they weren't known widely last season because they were playing in the country's second tier, but they've all adapted seamlessly to top-fight demands, and Forsberg has arguably been their best performer.
"Forsberg. Bundesliga Player of the Season," BT Sport's Raphael Honigstein tweeted in February as the Swede knocked another goal home. His rise has been incredible, and in tying him down to a new long-term deal, RB Leipzig have made him one expensive commodity ahead of the summer window.
10. Sadio Mane, Liverpool (+£26m)
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Estimated Current Value: £60 million
Estimated Difference: £26 million
When Sadio Mane swapped Southampton for Liverpool last summer, eyebrows were raised at the money paid to make it happen. £34 million felt like a lot for a brilliant but inconsistent winger, and given the Reds' difficulties with other players bought from the same location, doom-mongers made themselves heard loud and early.
But now, if you were to ask Jurgen Klopp how much it would take to extract Mane from Anfield, the answer would be north of £60 million. He's more than justified the wad spent on him, plundering 12 goals and five assists to lead the club in production—despite departing for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
The Senegalese forward has gone from attracting grimaces at the fee paid for his services to being the attacking catalyst in one of the Premier League's best sides.
9. Harry Kane, Tottenham (+£30m)
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Estimated Current Value: £100 million
Estimated Difference: £30 million
It would have taken a gargantuan offer to prise Harry Kane away from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, and with him eclipsing 20 goals for the season for the third consecutive time, his price is only going one way.
Spurs fans sang out "Just a one-season wonder" to him on Sunday as he buried two against Everton, mocking those who dismissed his brilliant debut season as a flash in the pan. He went head-to-head with Romelu Lukaku that day and proved himself the better player and prospect.
He's 23, English, scores on a consistent basis and nets every type of goal in the book. If Kane were to leave Spurs in the next 18 months—and there's nothing to suggest he actually will—he could well be the first £100 million player.
8. Franck Kessie, Atalanta (+£30m)
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Estimated Current Value: £35 million
Estimated Difference: £30 million
Rewind six months and the vast majority of people simply did not know who Franck Kessie was. Now, though, he's the midfield enforcer who has been linked with most top teams—most notably Chelsea in January, per The Guardian's Ed Aarons—for north of £30 million.
According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t The Mirror's Joe Mewis), the Ivorian midfielder dreams of playing for Manchester United but wouldn't turn down an approach from the Blues. He'd fit both managers' systems well given his strong tactical acumen and rugged approach to the game.
In August 2016, he was a kid returning from a loan at Serie B side Cesena and had recently been moved from defence to midfield. In March 2017, he's a top side's midfield solution who will cost a princely sum.
7. Tiemoue Bakayoko, Monaco (+£30m)
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Estimated Current Value: £40 million
Estimated Difference: £30 million
Monaco are going to make a sizeable profit on Tiemoue Bakayoko. Signed for as little as £7 million in 2014, the Frenchman has had to show patience at times, but he is now an undisputed first-team starter and rapidly growing into one of Europe's finest midfielders.
A strong presence in the centre, he and midfield partner Fabinho have dominated games with ease this season, often playing against numerical disadvantage but emerging the victors anyway. Bakayoko is raw power and forcefulness, his tackling is super and his passing is reliable.
He's essentially tailor-made for the Premier League, and you can expect most of England's top teams to show an interest for him this summer.
6. Naby Keita, RB Leipzig (+£33m)
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Estimated Current Value: £45 million
Estimated Difference: £33 million
Naby Keita looks like a ready-made solution to any midfield issue an elite team might be dealing with. The problem for those teams is that RB Leipzig are well aware of that and will charge a fortune for his services in 2017.
His value in August 2016 is difficult to pin down—he made the switch from RB Salzburg to sister club Leipzig, so the fee is unclear—but Transfermarkt believe he moved for around £13 million. That's a small amount compared to what his next fee will be.
Keita can play as a No. 6, No. 8 or even in the No. 10 space; he can pass, dribble, tackle and shoot, and he's capable of delivering key goals and assists at the most important of times. And he's just 22 years of age.
5. N'Golo Kante, Chelsea (+£33m)
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Estimated Current Value: £65 million
Estimated Difference: £33 million
N'Golo Kante was the true driving force behind Leicester City's Premier League title win last season, and he's been the true driving force behind Chelsea's expected one this term. That kind of impact no matter the system, scenario, or team is an incredible feat.
The hype train is now in full flow; another tremendous performance on Monday night against West Ham only cemented that fact. He's expected to win Player of the Year if he keeps it up, and all evidence suggests he will.
The Blues bagged his signature last summer for £32 million, and right now that looks like a bargain. He's the best midfielder in the league and could walk into almost any side in football. He's at least doubled his own value in the space of half a year.
4. Andrea Belotti, Torino (+£35m)
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Estimated Current Value: £60 million
Estimated Difference: £35 million
Andrea Belotti's reputation has transformed for the better over the last 18 months. He's gone from a potentially underwhelming signing for Torino in 2015 to a red-hot striker with a new €100 million buyout clause in his contract, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN FC).
That's probably not what he goes for—he's not that good as it stands—but it marks his sharp rise quite neatly. He is the current Serie A top scorer with 22 goals—three clear of Edin Dzeko and Gonzalo Higuain, four clear of Dries Mertens. He's not a beautiful watch by any means, but he's a pure poacher and gets the job done in front of goal.
Torino president Urbano Cairo has made it very clear how highly he rates his Italian No. 9, potentially in anticipation of a busy summer fending off bids.
3. Bernardo Silva, Monaco (+£45m)
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Estimated Current Value: £70 million
Estimated Difference: £45 million
There isn't an elite European team out there who isn't interested in Bernardo Silva's signature. He's lighting up Ligue 1 on a weekly basis and impressed greatly against Manchester City in February, affirming his skill level on the finest of stages.
The move he made from Benfica to Monaco in 2015 may have looked a strange one at the time, but he's blossomed alongside a number of fresh-faced talents in the principality and now looks ready to hop on again.
This time, it'll be to a team like Barcelona, Chelsea, or Manchester United. according to The Sun's Alex Terrell, and the move won't appear quite so odd.
The fees being quoted—in the region of £70 million—make him one of the three biggest risers in value this season.
2. Ousmane Dembele, Borussia Dortmund (+£48m)
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Estimated Current Value: £60 million
Estimated Difference: £48 million
Borussia Dortmund pounced on Ousmane Dembele fast, identifying a special talent at Rennes quickly and snapping him up the very next summer. In doing so, they secured both a reasonably cheap deal (around £12 million, per ESPN's Stephan Uersfeld) and a massive future sale.
The 19-year-old has taken just six months to become the leader and orchestrator of Borussia Dortmund's attack. With others struggling for consistent form or injury, Dembele is Thomas Tuchel's only reliable creative general, and his output this term has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Expect several elite clubs to enquire for his services in June 2017, and expect the minimum price to be set at £60 million.
1. Kylian Mbappe, Monaco (+£55m)
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Estimated Current Value: £60 million
Estimated Difference: £55 million
According to B/R's Dean Jones, Monaco have set the base price for Kylian Mbappe in the Anthony Martial range. For those who missed that blockbuster transfer, the Manchester United forward cost a princely £60 million (including add-ons).
At the beginning of the season, few had heard of Mbappe; he is a rare, true breakout star in a world in which most footballing prospects and young stars are tagged very early on. He models his game on Thierry Henry and moves a bit like him, too. It's scary to think how good he could be if defences entirely fail to figure him out.
At the beginning of the season, he was no more than a promising young player whose somatotype confused analysts and playing style sparked intrigue. Now he feels like the next bonafide superstar.
All statistics via WhoScored.com
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