LaLiga market values: Vinicius Jr. draws level with Haaland as world's MVP - Yamal up by 25%

Transfermarkt continues to update the market values in Europe’s top leagues. Up next on the list among the top four leagues to receive an intermediary update is LaLiga. Altogether, 132 players playing in the Spanish top division have received new market values and there has been some significant movement at the top. Ahead of the update, Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior shared the top spot with a market value of €180m. The Transfermarkt team in Spain has now opted to change that, upgrading Vinicius Jr. making him the most valuable player in Spain and level with Man City star Erling Haaland.

Like Haaland, Vinicius Jr. saw his market value upgraded by €20m to now €200m. “Vinicius has maintained his high level this season; together with Valverde, he stands out as a leader and differential factor in the team, unlike his star teammates Mbappé and Bellingham, affected by a dip in form,” market value coordinator Spain Tobias Blaseio said when asked about Vinicius’ update pointing at the fact that the Brazilian could win the Ballon d’Or later this month. “The Brazilian's upcoming Ballon d’Or selection at the end of October should reward him for his performances last season and crown his path to the top of the world.” There is no doubt that Vinicius’ upgrade will bring about some discussions among the community. But there is also no doubt that the Brazilian was a significant factor in Real Madrid’s Champions League winning season. 

A big factor for club and country was rising superstar Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona wonderkid saw his market value upgraded by 25% from €120m to €150m. Only 17, Yamal is undoubtedly the biggest talent in world football. “Lamine seems to be redefining the limits of possibilities and continues his development at an unstoppable speed,” Blaseio said. “All this at an age when few players reach their first professional experience. His influence on the game and his efficiency have increased enormously. After only nine league games, he is already approaching his goal-scoring figures for the whole of last season.” 

LaLiga market value update: Alvarez drops – Girona talent Asprilla on the up 

Yamal isn’t the only Barcelona star to keep an eye on as 17-year-old defender Pau Cuabarsí continues to shine. “Cuabarsí impresses with his exceptionally stable build-up play and anticipation, as well as his courageous tackling,” Blaseio said. “His current nomination for the Spanish national team shows the level of performance he is already capable of.” Cuabarsi has indeed impressed since breaking into Barcelona’s first last season. This year, under new head coach Hansi Flick, Cuabarsí has started in eight out of nine LaLiga games (one assist) and earned a market value upgrade 33.3% from €30m to €40m. 

Barcelona are not the only club with notable talents seeing their market value increase. Over at Girona, 20-year-old Colombian forward Yaser Asprilla saw his market value rise by 100% from €9m to €18m. “Girona seem to have made a fascinating transfer with Asprilla,” Blaseio says about the striker, who joined the LaLiga club for €18m from Watford this summer. “The Colombian appears to be arriving in a stable environment and in the best-case scenario, could develop similarly to Savinho.” Another talented to striker to watch is Icelandic striker Orri Óskarsson at Real Sociedad. The 20-year-old has drawn comparisons to Haaland and saw his market value adjusted to the €20m transfer fee the San Sebastian club paid to Copenhagen last summer. 

The transfer fee also impacted the market value of former Man City striker Julián Alvarez. “The Argentine has suffered a significant loss of status with his move from City to Atletico, so his market value will initially be adjusted to the transfer fee without clauses,” Blaseio said. “The start of the season could have been better; so far, he has rarely been able to reflect the high expectations; he does not seem very comfortable at Atletico Madrid.” Alvarez has managed just three goals in 11 games across all competitions for Atlético Madrid this season, justifying a downgrade by €15m from €90m to now €75m. 

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).