Now the season is over, many football fans will be excited at the prospect of the summer transfer window, hoping that their club can negotiate an absolute bargain that is going to propel them up the table. However, they will also be cautious to avoid splashing the cash on a player that will end up on the scrapheap in 12 months’ time, discarded as a flop.
The Football Observatory have compiled a list that may give a better idea of the true value of the very best players from across the world. And while many of the names are ones you would expect on a list of this nature, there are a few surprises along the way, including a shock contender splitting the dominance of consistently the two best players in the world.
Here is the top ten:
10) James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) €62.5m-€68.8m
The Colombian propelled himself onto the world stage when his performances guided Colombia to the quarter-finals of last year’s World Cup. Despite not featuring in the final two rounds of the competition, he would claim the Golden Boot award, and earn a move to Real Madrid.
With the Spanish giants, he has scored 13 times, and created 13 more goals for his teammates in his 29 appearances.
9) Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona) €67.8m-€74.6m
After spending three years going somewhat under the radar at the Nou Camp, the Chilean moved to the Premier League with Arsenal at the beginning of the season. Despite having no experience of the English game previously, Sanchez has taken no time at all to settle, and has driven his side to the FA Cup for a second successive year. He has scored 16 times in the league alone, suggesting that Barcelona made a mistake in letting him go.
