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The latest market value update in Serie A is dominated by many downgrades. Overall, 171 players were reevaluated, and after poor performances in Europe, many of the top players saw their market values drop. Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni drops to third behind the unchanged Juventus star Kenan Yıldız. Bastoni’s teammates Nicolò Barella and Marcus Thuram also drop. Drops also dominate the story at Inter Milan’s rivals, AC Milan, where Rafael Leão and Christian Pulisic saw their market values drop. There are a few winners, however, as players like Donyell Malen and Weston McKennie saw their values increase.
“At Inter, a transition is clearly underway,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Italy, Jatin Dietl, said. “After the past few years, during which the team was able to compete in the Champions League with top sides despite significantly lower budgets, a gradual generational change is now being introduced. While players like Thuram and Barella have been struggling for consistency, they are also reaching an age at which the market naturally becomes more difficult.” Both Barella and Thuram drop by €10m from €60m to €50m.
Age, however, wasn’t a factor for Bastoni’s downgrade. The center-back is down by 12.5% from €80m to €70m. “Bastoni’s downgrade, meanwhile, is more a reflection of his current standing than of his actual performances,” Dietl said. “The centre-back continues to perform at a high level and remains one of the best in the world in his position. However, when a player has reached such an exceptional market value, having previously ranked among the top three centre-backs worldwide, he is inevitably measured against that elite benchmark at all times. He has also slightly lost the central role he previously held within Inter’s system.”
Serie A market values: Bisseck and Esposito reflect a changing of the guard at Inter
Altogether, Inter’s squad value dropped by €30.5m to €636.3m. It is the biggest drop among all teams playing in Serie. It isn’t all bad news, though. Indeed, in young German center-back Yann Bisseck (+€5m to €40m) and 20-year-old striker Pio Esposito, two younger players are now in the squad ready to step up to ring in the changing of the guard. “Bisseck has reduced his tendency for mistakes and now offers greater reliability, not only defensively but also as a threat going forward, thanks to his physicality and aerial presence.” Then there is Esposito, who is one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe. “Combining strong movement, finishing ability, and physical potential, he is gradually earning more playing time and importance within the squad.”
Esposito, in fact, is a bit of a rarity in Italian football. A young up-and-coming striker. A glimpse at the goalscoring charts underlines this. One name to watch is Napoli’s Rasmus Højlund. “Højlund joined Napoli with a €44 million obligation to buy if the club qualifies for the Champions League, and Italian reports now suggest Napoli are expected to make the move permanent regardless,” Dietl said. “After an inconsistent period at Manchester, he has re-established himself in Serie A, where he has been able to seamlessly replace Romelu Lukaku, a player who is extremely important for Antonio Conte’s style of football.” The Danish forward saw his market value increase by 11.1% from €45m to €50m.
Another Premier League player on loan who has adapted well to Italy is Roma’s Malen. He was named Serie A Player of the Month for February 2026 after scoring four goals in four league matches, with Italian media highlighting how naturally he fit into Gian Piero Gasperini’s attacking structure,” Dietl said. “Since his move, he has brought exactly what Roma were missing in the final third: speed, verticality, sharp movement, and a constant goal threat. His immediate impact becomes even more impressive when considering that other high-profile signings such as Juve’s Loïs Openda (-€8m to €32m) or Milan’s Christopher Nkunku (-€4m to €28m) have so far fallen well short of expectations and have seen their market values decline.”
Serie A market values: Pulisic drops, McKennie up – Palestra one to watch
Speaking of Milan, Nkunku isn’t the only player with a downgrade. Altogether, Milan’s squad value dropped by €10m to €483.5m. Among the downgrades are also Leão (-€5m to €65m), Youssouf Fofana (-€3m to €25m), and Ardon Jashari (-€2m to €30m). Among the many downgrades was also US men’s national team winger Pulisic (-€10m to €50m). “The Milan winger, one of the most consistent and decisive attackers in terms of goals and assists throughout 2025, has been going through a difficult period for several months now,” Dietl said. He is no longer an undisputed starter, has faced criticism for being too individualistic, and his physical condition has also failed to convince. Whether it is down to Massimiliano Allegri’s system, the approaching World Cup in his home country, or the constant transfer speculation surrounding him, Pulisic is currently not the same player Serie A fans had admired in recent years.”
Over at Juventus, the situation is very different for McKennie. The midfielder saw his market value increase by €8m from €22m to €30m. “The two leading American players in Serie A are currently living through very different moments in their careers,” Dietl said. “While Pulisic has gone from being one of the league’s most decisive attackers in 2025 to a player struggling for form and influence, McKennie has taken the opposite path, turning himself from a frequently questioned figure in Turin into one of the key winners of Juventus’ new era. A strong return in terms of goals and assists, combined with consistently convincing performances, has earned him a deserved contract extension and a new career-high market value.”
Finally, one player to watch is Cagliari’s center-back Marco Palestra, whose market value has risen by €5m to €30 m. On loan from Atalanta, the 21-year-old is one of the most exciting talents in Italian football. “A player who will likely be seen in England sooner rather than later is Palestra, Atalanta’s full-back, currently impressing across the league while on loan at Cagliari,” Dietl said. “Palestra is a modern, attack-minded defender. He combines strong pace with high intensity, contributes consistently in the final third, and shows solid defensive awareness. All of Italy’s top clubs would certainly be interested in signing him, but Atalanta’s asking price, already significantly above his current market value, strongly suggests that his next step will be to the Premier League.”
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).
