5 Ligue 1 players whose market values have fallen

A hotbed for Europe’s rising talent, many of the big sides have dipped their toes into Ligue 1 waters over the past few years. Whether it be an up-and-coming youngster or a more established name, almost no other league tends to the best teams in football like they do in France.

However, that can always be a double-edged sword. Some that spend too long can hurt their value, be it they regress personally or the team around them suffers but both take a financial hit.

Here’s a look at five Ligue 1 players whose market value has fallen this season:

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#5 Lucas Moura

Life as the seventh choice on a fantastic team must be hard to take. In fact, Lucas could be blamed for thinking that when compatriot Neymar Jr turned up, the 25-year-old might just convince the manager to play him a little more.

That was until Kylian Mbappe came through the door. And Angel Di Maria wasn’t shipped on in the summer. And Julian Draxler impressed in your stead last season. And Javier Pastore got fit again. And Giovanni Lo Celso proved to be more useful.

Not a single start this season, having netted his best-ever record of 12 league goals last campaign, has to be a gut punch for the Brazilian international. His market value has dropped significantly but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there is a rescue job for someone in Europe to undertake here and he still has the potential to shine.

#4 Christopher Jullien

Christopher Jullien

In the summer, a lot of teams were casting their eyes over Toulouse and their impressive young defence. Captain Christopher Jullien was a key cog in the defensive triangle, alongside Issa Diop and highly rated Alban Lafont in goal, that made one of the strongest backlines in Ligue 1.

A few months later, the 24-year-old has been stripped of his captaincy and publicly slammed by his manager Pascal Dupraz over recent performances. That did little to his confidence, as several errors have crept in that have led to many more questions about his ability to make the next step.

He’s still a threat in the air and with the right guidance, he can reclaim his form but it’s been a worrying dip of form as of late. While the likes of Everton and Southampton who were interest still need defensive cover, there’s no way that they’d pay the same price Les Violets were asking previously.

#3 Thiago Maia

Thiago Maia

As with many young players from Brazil, coming to Europe with a reputation can be both a help and a hindrance. Some take it like a duck to water, others more like a cat to water and unfortunately for Thiago Maia, it’s been much more of the latter so far.

The 20-year-old had to wait until September for his first start under Marcelo Bielsa, where he was played out of position at left-back. His reward in the next fixture was an early bath after two silly yellow cards in the first half and since then, his only notable contributions have been giving away two penalties.

Time is still on his side but the fact he’s not convinced El Loco to play him further forward should worry many observers. Already, this feels much more like a Gabigol scenario than a Gabriel Jesus one so far in northern France.

#2 Yoan Cardinale

Yoan Cardinale

The trials and tribulations of a young goalkeeper are all rolled into one in Yoan Cardinale. The Nice goalkeeper pulled out a number of impressive performances in their run to third in Ligue 1 in 2016/17 but it’s been littered with mini-disasters ever since.

Whether it be dropping crosses, poor saves into dangerous areas or just clangers like letting the ball through his legs, this campaign has already been a right-off. Just as calls were being heard for him to be replaced, an injury meant a spell on the sidelines and lots of thinking for him to do.

Some were comparing him to former France international Fabien Barthez but no-one thought he would be reaching the “Manchester United period” of his career so quickly. This feels like another tale of a shot-stopper growing up too quickly in the world of football, where it is only more than willing to shoot you down if you fly too high.

#1 Fabinho

Fabinho

Fabinho is a fantastic footballer. Adapting into a defensive midfielder last season, he was the heartbeat of the Monaco team that roared to the Ligue 1 crown and made it to the Champions League semi-finals.

Then they stripped away all the talent around him, especially his midfield partner Tiemoue Bakayoko and it’s not been the same. Don’t get this twisted, the Brazilian is still playing very well but the fact he’s having to do the job of two players has only been part of the principality club’s recent downturn.

Once the summer comes around, clubs will still form an orderly queue to sign the versatile 24-year-old. However, unlike they did with the players that left before this season, it’s the club’s falter in form that should mean that they won’t be able to demand quite as much as they may have got previously.