340 updates
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With the conclusion of the domestic season, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 340 players playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. Although FIFA Club World Cup participant Red Bull Salzburg still dominate the league with eight players among the ten most valuable players in the Bundesliga, back-to-back champion Sturm Graz have made some significant inroads with the second most valuable player in the league playing on loan from Brighton for Die Schwoazn: Malick Yalcouyé.
Low key, Sturm Graz might be one of the best stories in European football at the moment. The club from Styria, dethroned serial champions RB Salzburg last year and then successfully defended the title this season. All on a low-cost budget. “Sturm Graz primarily bank on young players, which is also reflected in the market values,” Transfermarkt Austria Area Manager Dorian Schuster said. Several Sturm players received significant upgrades, among them Leon Grgic (+150% from €1m to €2.5m), Max Johnston (+94.4% from €1.8m to €3.5m), and Arjan Malic (+87.5% from €800,000 to €1.5m).
“One of the highlights was Yalcouyé, who in his first year in Europe was one of the best players in the league and was voted rookie of the year,” Schuster said. Born in Bandiagara, Mali, Yalcouyé represents Ivory Coast’s U23 and managed four goals and two assists in 26 Bundesliga games. The 19-year-old saw his market value increase by 30.8% from €13m to €17m. Also up significantly is his teammate William Bøving (+€3m to €8m), who scored 11 goals and ten assists in 42 games across all competitions. “He had a reputation as a poor finisher,” Schuster said. “That’s no longer the case, and it is expected that he will head to a top-five league this summer.”
Austrian market values: Wolfsberg’s Nwaiwu up – Ups and downs at Red Bull
Another player to watch is Wolfsberger AC’s Chibuike Nwaiwu. Signed on a free transfer from Nigerian side Enyimba Aba last summer, Nwaiwu saw his market value increase by 133.3% from €3m to €7m as part of this update. “Nwaiwu arrived as an absolute no-name from Nigeria and directly became one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga,” Schuster said. “Interest in him is high; last winter, Premier League side Wolverhampton were interested, and he is set to head to a top league this summer. Wolfsberg want €10m, whether they will achieve that fee remains to be seen.”
Without a league title two years in a row, there have been ups and downs at RB Salzburg ahead of the Club World Cup in America. Although he remains the league’s most valuable player, Israeli midfielder Oscar Gloukh is down by €2m to now €20m. Salzburg players with significant upgrades are Joane Gadou (+€7m to €15m), Dorgeles Nene (+€4m to €12m), Mads Bidstrup (+€1m to €10m), and Samson Baidoo (+€2m to €8m). On the flipside, Bobby Clark (-€3.5m to €4.5m) and Maurits Kjaergaard (-€3m to €10m) received significant downgrades.
How Transfermarkt market values work
The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees.
The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).
