Real Madrid: Fede Valverde is now the most valuable CM in the world

Although it’s just one valuation, the Transfermarkt values are widely-referenced and held in high regard, so Real Madrid star Fede Valverde has received quite the endorsement.

Since the first few months of the 2019-2020 season, Real Madrid center midfielder Fede Valverde has firmly established himself as one of the big breakout stars in European football. Valverde is locked in at Real with an astronomical release clause – and for good reason. He is the future of the midfield for this team, and he has quite honestly been one of the club’s three best players in 2020-2021.

With three goals this season already despite missing time with a fractured leg, Valverde has been building on his breakout campaign in which he helped Los Blancos achieve their 34th league title triumph.

The 22-year-old Uruguayan midfielder can do it all. He can score, create chances, start counterattacks, pass the ball crisply, pirouette around defenders, run like the wind, and tackle with the power of a center back. Valverde is an all-action, modern-day No. 8.

And he’s valued like one, too. As our friends at the Madrid Zone pointed out, Fede Valverde is the highest-valued center midfielder by Transfermarkt in the entire world. Technically it’s a tie, but there’s an indicator that Valverde is slightly ahead.

You can view the full table of values here.

Transfermarkt believes Valverde is worth 70 million euros, which is tied with Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid. But of those three players, only Valverde’s value has trended up this year. Saul and de Jong are both down, and Valverde has outplayed both men this year in La Liga. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Paul Pogba are rated at 65 million euros. They are big names, but they are both years older than Valverde.

It’s a proper valuation for Valverde, but it’s also worth noting who else is in the top 10. Leon Goretzka is worth 60 million euros and is a good player for Bayern Munich, but he’s not as well-rounded or as good defensively as Valverde, who, again, is a few years younger than the former Schalke man.

Valverde, when looking at his age and production in all facets of the game, is a level above the rest. Saul and de Jong are actually listed behind Valverde when you sort for market value, and since only Valverde is rising, it’s safe to say that he is the No. 1 guy at the position right now. He’s earned that distinction, on the strength of his play in 2020 for Los Merengues.