Top 5 highest recorded market values of players in the history of football

The market value of a player can determine the amount of money that clubs can demand for a transfer. Factors like personal form, importance to the team, stats, contract length and age can strongly influence the market value of a player. And in this article, we will take a look at the five players with the highest recorded market values. 

Top five players with the highest market value of all-time 

5. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) – €150 million (2021-22) 

The Norwegian striker recently made the move to Manchester City, and is among the best young strikers in the world right now. He scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for Dortmund, which is an unbelievable return for a player of his age. 

4. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) – €160million (2019-20) 

In 2019/20, Sterling was unbeatable. He became the highest valued Englishman in history, scoring 31 goals and providing 10 assists in 52 games across competitions. 

3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – €180million (2017-18) 

Messi’s highest recorded value in his career was in 2017/18, after he led Barcelona to the domestic double. The Argentinian scored 45 goals and 20 assists in 54 games across competitions that season, and peaked as a result. 

2. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) – €180million (2017-18) 

The year of his world-record transfer to PSG, Neymar was the joint-highest valued player in the world at the time. While the Parisians triggered his release clause which essentially broke the transfer market, Neymar was unable to live up to the exceptional heights projected for him in France. 

1. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) — €200million (2018-19) 

Lifting the World Cup after scoring in the final as a teenager, Mbappe was named the ‘FIFA World Cup Best Young Player’ in 2018. The Frenchman went on to become the first and only player ever to reach the €200 million market value.