Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr.‘s new refinement in the final third this season has helped him reach new highs and gain more and more recognition. The surge in his goal and assist numbers has hardly gone unnoticed as many believe he has leapfrogged several other wingers of his generation and is moving towards the elite category of players in world football. But where does Vinicius Jr. really rank among the best players or among the potential best players in world football? Does his rise to stardom translate to a rise in transfer value?
In modern football, transfer value is broadly determined by four factors – age, contract situation, playing position, and lastly the actual ability and performances of the player. Sometimes the actual values of the players are affected by the contract situation, for example – Haaland’s release clause is only 75 million euros, so he will come nowhere near the top five valuable players even though he is one.
To eliminate this, I’ve prepared a ranking of the 10 most valuable players in world football taking into account all the factors except for the contract situation. Let’s see where beloved Madridista Vinicius Jr. ranks among the top players in transfer value.
10. Trent Alexander-Arnold
Perhaps the toughest decision on this list. Pedri, Mason Greenwood, Alphonso Davies, and even Achraf Hakimi can all give TAA a run for his money. But Trent’s artistry and talent in what he does along with the time he’s been doing it for earns him this spot. Like all young superstars, he’s had his ups and downs. In his ups, however, the right back has assisted Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory whilst also assisting his teammates 42 times – third highest in Europe since 2018-19. Any elite team would be willing to splash 80-85 million euros on him in case he ever becomes available.