Top 57 downgraded
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Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 476 players playing in the Saudi Pro League, and once again, downgrades dominate the headlines. Be it Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Ivan Toni, or Moussa Diaby, the top 57 most valuable players to play in Saudi Arabia were downgraded as part of the update. When matters calmed down, Al-Ittihad’s Diaby remained the most valuable player in the league despite a 36.4% drop from €55m to €35m.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the big headline of Saudi Pro League. “Even at the age of 39, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the face of the league, and not just for image reasons,” said Transfermarkt Area Manager Asia Tiberius Radzijewski. “Despite Al-Nassr’s poor season, his performances have been excellent, and he is once again fighting for the Saudi Pro League top scorer crown. Nevertheless, after not touching his market value in the last update since his move to Saudi Arabia, we have decided to reduce his value ahead of his 40th birthday. Nonetheless, this is a market value for history books.
That’s for sure. Despite seeing his market value drop from €15m to €12m, Ronaldo remains one of the most valuable players over the age of 34 on the planet. In fact, when Ronaldo turns 40, he will become the most valuable 40-year-old player in the history of transfermarket market values. It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will celebrate his birthday at Al-Nassr or not. Due to Al-Nassr’s exit from the Club World Cup, there are rumors that Ronaldo may change clubs and join Al-Hilal instead. It will certainly be interesting to see Ronaldo compete in the same tournament with the Most Valuable Player over the age of 34, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.
Saudi Pro League market value: Big drop in Toni and Neymar’s ratings
Such a move could also potentially unite Ronaldo with Messi’s friend Neymar. This means that if Neymar will still play for Al-Hilal next summer. Brazil have struggled in Saudi Arabia and could soon leave the league. “For the other superstar, Neymar, the story has not been positive,” Radzizewski said. “After a short comeback, another serious injury and rumors of retirement, his contract has ultimately become a financial disaster for his record champion team. Having missed more than 60 games in two years and 42 minutes played this season, such a huge loss is inevitable.” Neymar’s market value dropped by €15m from €30m to €15m now, as of 6 September 2010. This is their lowest market value since.
The drop in market value was even more significant for former Premier League star striker Ivan Toney. “At the age of 28, Tony left the English Premier League and signed a four-year contract to join Al-Ahly,” Radzizewski said. “Performing below expectations, being diagnosed with gambling addiction, as well as not being considered for his national team at all make it clear that a decline in his value is inevitable.” Tony has seen his market value fall by a staggering €22m from €50m to €28m.
How transfermarket market prices work
Transfermarkt market values are calculated by taking into account various pricing models. A key factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, transfermark market values should not be combined with transfer fees.
The goal is not to predict price but to predict the expected value of a player in the free market. Both the individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market prices. Examples of this are listed below. TransferMark does not use any algorithms (you can find the detailed market value definition here).