4 days ago
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170 players updated
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With the conclusion of the secondary transfer window and the end of major transfer activities across Europe following last week’s deadline day in Europe’s major leagues, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 170 Major League Soccer players. The primary focus of this intermediary update is on new arrivals and players who have been involved in major transfer speculation. Among the players impacted is Inter Miami CF star signing Rodrigo De Paul, who, as part of the update, lost his status as the single most valuable player in MLS.
“Despite being a regular starter at Atlético Madrid, De Paul opted to make the move from LaLiga to a weaker league in the form of MLS,” Transfermarkt Data Administrator North America Dominic Becker said. “The option to buy in his contract is just €18m. As a result, a downgrade was unavoidable.” With that in mind, Transfermarkt has opted to lower his market value from €25m to €20m. It is the biggest drop in market value of this update. Despite the drop in market value, De Paul remains the most valuable player in the league, together with Riqui Puig and new arrival Heung-Min Son.
Technically, new LAFC star Son would have also been due for a downgrade. But his €22m transfer fee, the fact that Son has unleashed an unparalleled run on LAFC shirts in Southern California, the commercial impact with the very large Korean community in Los Angeles, plus his on-field performances, meant that for now Son will stay put at €20m. Indeed, the 33-year-old has been good on the pitch, scoring one goal and two assists in his first four MLS games.
MLS market value update: Seattle Sounders’ Vargas in demand and on the up
One of the big winners of the MLS market value update is Seattle Sounders’ midfielder Obed Vargas, whose market value is up by €2m from €6m to now €8m. “It is hard to imagine the Sounders’ midfield without the Anchorage, Alaska native,” Becker said. “At 20, he is an absolute central player and top performer for his team. This summer, Liga MX side Tigres were ready to pay $10m for the midfielder; Sounders rejected that bid. There is a strong market for him. European teams will also have him on their radar.” Transfermarkt, in fact, understands that there is a career plan in place for Vargas, who prefers a move to Europe over Mexico. The family is currently looking at options for a winter transfer and favors a move to Germany’s Bundesliga.
Vargas is one of many young players in MLS to watch. Just north of the border of Seattle in Vancouver, the Whitecaps continue to make fantastic progress at the top of the Western Conference. Not only are the Whitecaps talented, but the recent arrival of German star Thomas Müller has also generated significant hype for the British Columbia-based club. The hype also means that young Whitecaps players have put themselves on the radar of European clubs, including Canadian men’s national team player Ali Ahmed. As reported by Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old received an offer from 2. Bundesliga side Schalke 04 this summer. Schalke were willing to pay a significant fee for Ahmed, but the offer was turned down by the Whitecaps. Still, Transfermarkt understands that the offered fee was above his current market value, and Ahmed, therefore, saw his evaluation adjusted upwards from €3m to €3.5m.
While Vargas and Ahmed see their market value impacted by potential future transfer activities, players like Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali saw their evaluation impacted by the fee paid for them this summer. “The 26-year-old was a consistent goalscorer for his previous clubs,” Becker said. “Columbus Crew paid significant money for his goalscoring record with the hope that it continues. The paid transfer fee and his performances at the FIFA Club World Cup for Al-Ahly FC are the main reasons for Ali’s market value increase from €4m to €6m.” Other examples of players impacted by their transfer fee are, among others, Toronto FC’s Djordje Mihailovic (+€1.5m to €6.5m), NYCFC's Nicolás Fernández Mercau (+€2m to €6m), and Charlotte FC’s Adilson Malanda (+€2m to €6m), who was sold to Middlesbrough for €6.9m and then loaned back.
MLS market values: Surridge among winners – Vazquez and Galaxy stars drop
Some established MLS players also saw their market values increase thanks to outstanding performances. Among them is Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge. “Surridge is a prime example for the argument that some players need time to get used to MLS,” Becker said. “After a slow start, he had a good season last year. This year, he has made a big step forward, leading the goalscoring chart ahead of Messi. If he keeps this level up, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if he can return to one of Europe’s top five leagues.” Surridge has scored 20 goals in 29 MLS regular-season games this season, and consequently, his market value is up from €5m to €7m.
While Surridge is among the big winners, Austin FC duo Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni are among the downgrades. Both were signed for record deals ahead of the season, but have mostly failed to have a big impact. After a poor year in Mexico, Vazquez has managed five goals in 19 MLS regular-season games and is now out for the foreseeable future with a cruciate ligament tear. Uzuni, in the meantime, is now 30, and his five goals and three assists in 23 games are somewhat unsatisfactory given his €12m transfer fee. As a result, both players have been downgraded by €500,000 to €7m.
They are not the only major stars with downgrades. While the LA Galaxy managed to qualify for next season’s Concacaf Champions Cup by finishing third in the Leagues Cup, last season’s MLS Cup winners have been horrendous in league play. The Galaxy currently rank last in the Western Conference with just 20 points from 22 games. As a result, Galaxy stars Gabriel Pec (-€2m to €8m) and Joseph Paintsil (-€1m to €7m) are among the major downgrades of this market value update.
