October 16, (THEWILL) – The latest update of the market value for footballers in the Serie A was most favourable for Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen given his impressive start to the 2021/2022 campaign.
In the latest release, the market values of 121 Serie A players were updated on Transfermarkt.it, the Italian football website for market values and stats. The big losers were Juventus, who sustained a significant drop in squad value. With Osimhen’s bump up, the biggest increases were for Napoli and AC Milan players, two of three sides still unbeaten at the top of the table.
For Napoli, it has been an incredible start to the season. They have won all seven games so far played in Serie A. One of the reasons for this is Osimhen’s best form since joining from LOSC Lille for €70 million in the summer of 2020. His outstanding goal-scoring form has been instrumental to Napoli’s season and Luciano Spalletti’s time as manager.
Jatin Dietl, Transfermarkt Area Manager in Italy said of Osimhen’s transformation: “After problems due to injuries last season, Osimhen is now showing that his transfer fee was well justified. In addition to his seven goals in eight competitive matches, he is also taking on an important role when the opponent is in possession and is growing into a complete centre-forward.”
The Nigerian forward, who scored during the international break to help the Super Eagles avenge a disappointing 1-0 home loss to the Central African Republic (CAR) has been on an incredible trajectory. This update that sees his value shoot up by a €10 million increase to €60 million is a new career high for a player who joined RSC Charleroi from VfL Wolfsburg in 2019 for just €3.5 million.
Elsewhere in the Serie A, Juventus have recovered in recent weeks after their worst start to the season since 1961, but they are still dealing with the aftermath of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and have finally lost their Serie A title after their first year without it since 2011.
As a result, no fewer than eight players saw a decrease in market value, lowering the squad’s value to €602.9 million, trailing only Borussia Dortmund (€603.9 million). To put things in perspective, the Black and Yellows were still €85 million behind the Bianconeri at the start of the month.
Matthijs de Ligt, was downgraded to €70 million for the first time in his career, with the exception of a corona-related cut in early 2020. Dietl explained why: “The Dutchman has arguably lost his place in the national team, and even at Juventus, he has not been able to consistently demonstrate that he deserves to be the world’s most valuable centre-back. However, his improving form and young age have saved him from a significant devaluation.”
At €75 million each, Ruben Dias and Marquinhos are now ahead of de Ligt among the world’s most valuable central defenders.
Wojciech Szczesny (down to €15 million), who has lost his status as the league’s most valuable goalkeeper after making game-changing mistakes, Arthur (down to €35 million), Dejan Kulusevski (down to €35 million), and Rodrigo Bentancur (down to €30 million) were the other players in the Juve side who suffered some downgrading as well.
Just like Osimhen, Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina was also a sensation at the start of the season. With a market value of €40 million, the 21-year-old Serb was already his club’s most valuable player, and he backed that up with seven goals in eight games in 2021/22 to draw massive interests in his talents.
“The huge interest in the summer, including from Inter and Atlético, showed that there is a high demand for players with Vlahovic’s qualities. The recently announced departure will again create a lot of buzz in the next transfer window,” Dietl is certain.
The striker is now one of the top ten most valuable players in the league, with a value of €50 million.
Meanwhile, Fikayo Tomori of Milan made the biggest leap in the league. On loan from Chelsea FC last season, the England international established himself in the Rossoneri’s defence before being signed permanently for around €30 million in the summer. This year, head coach Stefano Pioli has chosen him over captain Alessio Romagnoli (down to €20 million) and his market value has been adjusted from €28 million to €40 million.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
