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The Saudi Pro League has grabbed the attention of world football in recent years, with it's infinite riches attracting some of the game's biggest stars to the Middle East. Although, the spending has calmed down a bit this season compared to the previous two campaigns. This March, as we approach the conclusion of the Saudi season, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 33 players in the top division in its latest intermediate update.
The league's most high-profile player, Cristiano Ronaldo retained his €12 million market value despite being 41 years old. The Portuguese superstar, who plays for league leaders Al-Nassr, is by far the most valuable player in his 40s. The most valuable player in the entire Saudi Pro League remains Italian striker Mateo Retegui at €35m despite a -€5m downgrade this spring.
Darwin Núñez suffers biggest downgrade
Former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez suffered the biggest downgrade in the entire league, as his market value was slashed by -€10m to take his new value to €25m. The Uruguayan signed for Al-Hilal from Liverpool last summer, but has scored just six goals in 16 league appearances this term. "Simone Inzaghi has not even registered Núñez for the league anymore," explains Radziejewski. "As a result, he will not play another league game until the end of the current season, despite being signed for €53 million just a few months ago."
As aforementioned, fellow striker Retegui also received a small drop to his value. "Retegui is an important part of Brendan Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah starting line-up," says Radziejewski. "The Italian has scored 15 league goals, but has yet to find the net against any of the top teams in the divisions. He receives a slight downgrade (-€5M) but remains the most valuable player in the league."
Saïmon Bouabré & Kader Meïté: Teenage duo with biggest rises
The 19-year-old midfielder Saïmon Bouabré was signed by Al-Hilal for €23m in the winter window, and in tandem saw his market value rise from €4m all the way to €15m - the +€11m the biggest increase of the update. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old forward Kader Meïté was signed by Al-Hilal for €30m from Stade Rennes and saw his market value increase from €10m to €18m this March. "During the past two transfer windows, significant investments were made in young prospects, primarily from European leagues," reveals Radziejewski.
"Two notable upgrades concern new signings for record champions Al-Hilal. Striker Meïté has seen his value increase by €5m due to the transfer fee paid, although he has yet to start a league match. Meanwhile, midfielder Bouabré was signed from fellow Saudi side NEOM SC, where he had been a regular starter. Al-Hilal paid a fee of €23m, and he is now playing regularly for the record champions. His market value has also been adjusted upward in line with the significant transfer fee."
How Transfermarkt market values work
The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees.
The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).
