While the summer transfer window is set to be dominated by talk of whether Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris Saint-Germain to join Real Madrid or if Erling Haaland will leave the Bundesliga for the English top flight. To that end, the CIES Football Observatory has produced a list of the most valuable players in the world right now who are playing outside of Europe. The study shows that there is a lot of talent to be found outside of the English league. The transfer values for each player have been calculated by the CIES using a formula which takes into account the age, contract duration, level of performance and stature of their respective clubs. Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Canada and the U.S. are some of the countries where the players below are from. The top 10 is dominated by young talent from Portugal and the Dutch Eredivisie, with only one player from a team outside those two leagues. More than half of the players included in the CIES list are currently at one of Portugal's big three clubs. - ESPN+ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more (U.S.)
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- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access 🔴⚪️ 10 goals in 6 games 🤯 Haller's debut #UCL campaign has been ______ pic.twitter.com/nDeqrYj9Jg
10. Sebastien Haller (Ajax, €39.6 million)
Haller is the oldest player in the top 10. He scored 33 goals in 40 games for the Amsterdam giants this season, including 11 in the European competition. When he joined from West Ham in a 20 million dollar transfer in January 2021, he signed a contract that will last until the year 2025.
Charles De Ketelaere o oo ooo... 😍💪 #POTM #Unibet pic.twitter.com/RG2NLtZXpm
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) December 30, 2021
De Ketelaere is the only player from outside of the Netherlands or Portugal in the top 10. The versatile 21-year-old forward scored 14 league goals in his first two seasons with the club, after finding the net just three times in his first season. He was deployed in a range of attacking positions and roles and pitched in with seven assists.
Continuamos bem guardados 🔐
Diogo Costa ➡ 2026#FCPorto #DiogoCosta2026 #ComoNósUmdeNós pic.twitter.com/zKgErx3sGx
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) October 16, 2021
Costa is the only goalkeeper in a top 10 that is not dominated by attackers. He won his first senior cap for the Portugal national team in the year in which he became the first choice at Porto. The gifted shot-stopper agreed a new contract with Porto in October that will last until the summer of 2026, in order to cement his value for years to come.
Gonçalo Ramos (20 years, 297 days) = second youngest player to score in the Champions League knockout phase for Benfica ⚽️@slbenfica_en | #UCL pic.twitter.com/WXtGcl7NbD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 18, 2022
At the end of June, Ramos will be 21. The physical forward scored eight goals in 35 appearances in the Primeira Liga and the Champions League this season. The 21-year-old Ramos became the second- youngest player to score for Benfica in the knockout phase of the competition when he netted in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool in the quarterfinals.
🟢 Pedro Gonçalves was a joy to watch in the group stage 🤩@SportingCP_en | #UCL pic.twitter.com/AhkZFMpheZ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 15, 2022
He has a contract with Sporting until 2026, and he appears to be a star in the making. In 39 games this season, he has scored 15 goals, including four in four games in the group stage, despite being a right-winger.
𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙤 🟢⚪
Matheus Nunes, com este golo, deu a vitória aos Leões no dérbi da época passada 🙌 #SportingCP #OndeVaiUmVãoTodos
📺 @SPORTTVPortugal pic.twitter.com/ayQeNJVv9Z
— Sporting Clube de Portugal 🏆 (@Sporting_CP) April 17, 2022
The young man is committed to Sporting for another four years. He is a defensive player who uses his technical ability to break up play and pull strings from deep-lying positions. He doesn't score a lot, but he netted a 90th-minute diving headed goal to seal a priceless 1-0 win over bitter rivals Benfica in the Lisbon derby, and then scored against them again at the Estadio.
🔴⚪️ Cody Gakpo making the difference ⚽️⚽️@psveindhoven | #UECL pic.twitter.com/BpKnvY2GON
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) March 17, 2022
Gakpo has scored 19 times in 44 games for PSV so far this season and he has an eye for goal. The promising Dutch international has been heavily linked with a move to the English top flight, with the likes of Arsenal andLiverpool being mentioned as potential destinations.
⚽ GOLOGonçalo Inácio 49'
Allianz Cup (Final) | Benfica 1-1 Sporting#AllianzCup #SLBSCP pic.twitter.com/FDxkGpYPt8
— VSPORTS (@vsports_pt) January 29, 2022
Inacio is the only defender in the top 10. The centre-back has seen his profile rise over the course of the next two decades thanks to a number of commanding performances and a vital headed goal in the Taca da Liga final win over Benfica in January. He has also signed a new deal with the club.
🇧🇷 Joga Bonito. Ajax star Antony is a born entertainer. #UCL pic.twitter.com/3EI2q4SPmM
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 23, 2022
Antony, the Brazilian who is known as Antony, has scored 12 goals in 33 games for Ajax this season and is a delight to watch. The 22-year-old signed for the Dutch club on a deal that runs until the summer of 2025, but has been attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona since his arrival.
🇺🇾 This is what Darwin Núñez is all about...
Outstanding at Anfield 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/ewUdrU2SiM
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 22, 2022
Darwin Nunez is the most valuable player outside of Europe, as he has scored 34 goals in 40 games for Benfica this season. Thanks to his young age, his contract that still has more than three years remaining, and the fact that he has been performing at a very high standard for a very competitive club, the 22-year-old Uruguay international is in a position to produce a very high CIES valuation.
There is a chance that Nunez could move for more than the 126m they received for Joao Felix, with many of Europe's top clubs keeping a close eye.
The players with the highest estimated values are not included in the overall top 10.
Adeyemi is from Austria and works for FC Salzburg.
Brazil: Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo, €39m)
Denmark: Anders Dreyer (Midtjylland, €15m)
North America (MLS): Alan Velasco (FC Dallas, €20m)
Scotland: Liel Abada (Celtic, €19m)
Switzerland: Dan Ndoye (Basel, €15m)
Turkey: Muhammed Akturkoglu (Galatasaray, €20m)
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