PARIS Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappé is the most valuable soccer player in the world, according to Swiss research group CIES Football Observatory, followed by Real Madrid’s Vinícius, Jr. and new Manchester City recruit Erling Haaland.
Mbappé, who turned down Real and signed a new three-year deal at PSG last month, topped the list with an estimated transfer value of €205.6 million ($219.5 million), beating Vinícius (€185.3 million) and Haaland (€152.6 million).
Mbappé’s PSG teammate Neymar holds the current transfer record. The French champions paid Barcelona €222 million for his signature in 2017.
The top five was rounded off by Barca youngster Pedri (€135.1 million) and Borussia Dortmund’s English midfielder Jude Bellingham (€133.7 million).
The CIES Football Observatory uses such indicators as player age, performance, career progression and contract duration to arrive at a transfer value.
The latest list was dominated by Premier League players, with 41 representatives in the top 100.
City’s Ruben Dias (€109.6 million) had the highest transfer value for a defender while PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (€73.7 million) led among goalkeepers.
City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, 30, was the oldest player on the list, with a value of €57.3 million. — Reuters