Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling among world’s most valuable players

BrandPower Magazine 12/06/2015Last Updated: 12/06/2015

3 minutes read

According to skysports news, Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is the sixth most valuable player in Europe at £60m, while Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to a new transfer study.

The study has been carried out by a team of statisticians at the Football Observatory, a research group in the International Centre for Sports Studies which was founded in 1995 as a joint-venture between FIFA and the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. The Football Observatory itself was established in 2005 and has undertaken research for both FIFA and UEFA.

Their newly-published report makes four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi by far the most expensive player with a value of £205m following another stellar season with Barcelona.

Their findings are based on in-depth analysis which takes into account age, position, contract situation, international status, experience and on-pitch performance, and Chelsea star Hazard is second in the list with a value of £109m having shone for the Blues and signed a lucrative new contract in February.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi is rated as the world's most valuable player at £205m, £96m more than second-placed Eden Hazard

Real Madrid’s Ronaldo has fallen to third with a value of £92m since the Football Observatory’s last study in January 2015, while Barcelona’s Neymar is deemed to be worth £72m, ahead of Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (£63m) and the £60m Sterling.

The 20-year-old, who has been strongly linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, is the most valuable English player in the study and the youngest player in the top 30.

The rest of the top 10 is made up of Paul Pogba, the in-demand Juventus midfielder whose value is calculated at £57m, Chelsea striker Diego Costa(£56m), Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (£55m) and James Rodriguez (£50m), who joined Real Madrid in a big money deal from Monaco last summer.

Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas is judged to be the next most expensive Premier League player at £47m, which puts him 13th in the list, two places ahead of Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen (£32.4), Everton’s Romelu Lukaku (£32m), Chelsea’s Willian (£31.1m) and City’s David Silva (£30.6m) are the only other Premier League players in the top 30, while Manchester United’s £59.7m summer signing Angel Di Maria is 31st and now valued at just £29.7m after a disappointing season at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney is rated as United’s next most valuable player, with an estimated worth of £28.9m putting him 33rd in the list.

United targets Mats Hummels is also in the top 100 with a value of £21m, while Barcelona forward Pedro is given a value of £18.2m. Surprisingly, United goalkeeper David De Gea, who has been strongly linked with a move to Madrid, is only rated at £17.9, putting him 95th in the list.

The Football Observatory’s top 50 most expensive players

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) £205m

2. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) £109m

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £92m

4. Neymar (Barcelona) £72m

5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) £63m

6. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) £60m

7. Paul Pogba (Juventus) £57m

8. Diego Costa (Chelsea) £56m

9. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) £55m

10. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) £50m

11. Luis Suarez (Barcelona) £48.2m