Top ten most valuable football players in the world in 2022

Football’s summer transfer window is yet to open, but already the futures of two world-class players have already been decided.

After months of speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid, the Kylian Mbappé “transfer saga” finally came to a conclusion in May, said ESPN. The 23-year-old confirmed he was staying at Paris Saint-Germain and has signed a new three-year contract with the French champions.

In the Premier League, champions Manchester City have bolstered their attack with the signing of Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old cost an initial £51.1m and City are expected to pay £85.5m in total when “agent fees, signing bonus and other costs are taken into account”, said Sky Sports.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Ahead of the summer break, the CIES Football Observatory has released its list of the top 100 estimated transfer values for players worldwide. The research group uses a range of variables – player’s age, contract, performances, economic value of their club and inflation – to work out estimated transfer values, the BBC reported.

Thanks to his bumper new deal, Mbappé takes the No.1 spot ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League hero Vinícius Júnior and Man City new boy Haaland. Here we look at the top ten…

1. Kylian Mbappé: €205.6m (£175.7m)

Forward, age 23 – Paris Saint-Germain and France

He’s only 23, but Kylian Mbappé has already won the Fifa World Cup, as a 19-year-old with France in 2018. The striker will be aiming to repeat the feat when the world champions defend their crown in Qatar later this year. With his new contract reportedly worth €250m (£213.6m) over three years, the deal makes him the “most powerful figure at PSG”, said The Guardian.

2. Vinícius Júnior: €185.3m (£158.3m)

Forward, age 21 – Real Madrid and Brazil

Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior scored the winning goal for Real Madrid in the 2022 Uefa Champions League final against Liverpool. The 21-year-old, who also scored 17 goals as Real won Spain’s La Liga title, is recognised by fans as “one of the biggest young talents in world football”, said Sporf.

3. Erling Haaland: €152.6m (£130.4m)

Forward, age 21 – Manchester City and Norway

With the signing of Erling Haaland, Man City boss Pep Guardiola will hope the Norway star can finally fire the English giants to Champions League glory. The 21-year-old will join City on 1 July and the deal ends the search for a “long-term successor” to record goalscorer Sergio Agüero, said The Guardian.

4. Pedri: €135.1m (£115.4m)

Midfielder, age 19 – FC Barcelona and Spain

Pedro González López, known as “Pedri”, has looked “mature beyond his years” at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield, said Goal.com. The Spaniard, 19, has a “sparkling future ahead of him at Camp Nou”.

5. Jude Bellingham: €133.7m (£114.2m)

Midfielder, age 18 – Borussia Dortmund and England

Jude Bellingham, 18, is the youngest player in the top ten. Already firmly part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, Dortmund’s “forward-thinking” midfielder is a “phenomenal talent”, said Danny Murphy in The Mail on Sunday.

6. Phil Foden: €124m (£105.9m)

Forward, age 22 – Manchester City and England

Phil Foden, who starred in Man City’s Premier League triumph, is the “early favourite” to win the men’s PFA Young Player of the Year award, said the Daily Mail. Nicknamed the “Stockport Iniesta”, the 22-year-old won the Fifa Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017 and is a four-time Premier League title winner with City.

7. Frenkie de Jong: €112.5m (£96.1m)

Midfielder, age 25 – FC Barcelona and Netherlands

After coming through the ranks with Dutch side Ajax, Frenkie de Jong signed for Barcelona in 2019. The Netherlands midfielder is now being linked with a move to England. He remains Manchester United’s “primary transfer target” this summer, said the Daily Express.

8. Luis Díaz: €110m (£94m)

Forward, age 25 – Liverpool and Colombia

Luis Diaz has made an “instant impact” with Liverpool following his move from Porto in January, said 90min.com. The Colombian forward has so far scored six goals in 26 appearances for the Anfield club.

9. Rúben Dias: €109.6m (£93.6m)

Defender, age 25 – Manchester City and Portugal

Portuguese centre-half Rúben Dias joined Manchester City from Benfica for a then club-record £64.3m in September 2020 – it was a fee that has been “justified”, said the Daily Mail. The “commanding defender” has won successive Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium.

10. Ferran Torres: €109.5m (£93.5m)

Forward, age 22 – FC Barcelona and Spain

In December 2021, Ferran Torres returned to Spain after signing for Barcelona from Manchester City. The Spanish forward helped “rejuvenate” Barca’s “flagging season” after Christmas, said Goal.com.