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#4 Raheem Sterling - €160 million
Highest market value ever: €160 million
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Date when recorded: 10/12/2019
Current market value: €110 million
Manchester City won a domestic double (the Premier League and the Carabao Cup) in the 2017-18 season and then a domestic treble (the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup) in the 2018-19 season. A lot of Manchester City's success in recent years has had to do with Raheem Sterling.
The 26-year-old scored 23 goals and 25 goals across all competitions in the aforementioned seasons, respectively and topped it off with 31 goals in all competitions in the 2019-20 season.
In October 2017, Sterling's market value was just €50 million but shot up to the €160 million mark by December 2019. In the ongoing season, Sterling has seemingly had a drop in form, scoring only 8 goals in 25 matches for Manchester City thus far.
The pandemic's influence in 2020 combined with the drop in Sterling's form and one lesser year on his contract (expiring June 2023) caused his market value drop to €110 million in December 2020.
#3 Lionel Messi - €180 million
Highest market value ever: €180 million
Date when recorded: 01/01/2018
Current market value: €80 million
By far one of the best players to have ever graced the sport, Lionel Messi recorded his highest ever market value (€180 million) in January 2018 - shortly after Neymar's transfer inflated the market.
Since then, however, Messi's market value has steadily declined - which is predominantly because of his age and the fact that he hasn't signed a new contract at Barcelona, as the 33-year-old looks set to leave the club for free this summer.
With just over 5 months left on his contract, Messi's market value is currently estimated to be just €80 million and will continue to decrease as the time on his contract runs out.
#2 Neymar - €180 million
Highest market value ever: €180 million
Date when recorded: 24/01/2018
Current market value: €128 million
When Neymar completed his world-record move worth €222 million from La Liga giants Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017, his market value was only estimated to be around the €100 million mark.
The subsequent market inflation affected Neymar's market value as well, as it shot up to the €180 million mark by the end of January 2018 - just 6 months later.
Since then, the 28-year-old has accrued staggering tallies of 80 goals and 46 assists in just 99 matches across competitions for PSG. Widely hailed as one of the best players in the world at the moment, Neymar is yet to sign a contract extension at PSG (it is set to expire next summer). As a result, his market value is currently estimated to be worth €128 million.
#1 Kylian Mbappe - €200 million
Highest market value ever: €200 million
Date when recorded: 17/12/2018
Current market value: €180 million
It's not often that a 22-year-old is globally regarded as one of the best, but then again, Kylian Mbappe is no normal player. For context, consider this: Only Ronaldo Nazario had scored more goals at the age of 21 than Kylian Mbappe had. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi hadn't even scored half as many at that age.
Mbappe first joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Monaco in August 2017, before it became a permanent deal believed to be worth €145 million excluding add-ons - making him the most expensive teenager ever and the second-most expensive player ever after Neymar. In August 2017, Mbappe's market value was estimated to be around €75 million.
Within 16 months, by the end of December 2018, his market value had leaped to the €200 million mark, making him the first and only player till date to be worth that much.
Since his arrival at PSG, Mbappe has registered breathtaking tallies of 131 goals and 75 assists in 207 matches across competitions. In fact, he is already the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the club's history and has helped them win 9 major trophies including 3 consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
Mbappe is yet to sign a new contract at PSG and despite his current one expiring next summer, he is estimated to be worth €180 million at the moment, due to his age and exploits.
