Ranking the biggest transfer market value losers from £70m trialist to ‘qualified failure’

Premier League clubs splashed a whopping £3 billion on transfers this summer – but not every player has proved value for money.

The summer window saw Liverpool break the British transfer record twice in what has increasingly become an oversaturated market.

Attackers particularly saw their worth skyrocket this year, with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s £26million move to Manchester City the most expensive goalkeeper move in talkSPORT’s £608m transfer XI.

At the other end of the scale, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak spearhead the team, as they soon will at Anfield, having completed moves worth £116.5m and £125m respectively.

It remains to be seen which of the new arrivals will prove value for money in 12 months, considering the fate of similar stars before.

Things move fast in football, as the old saying goes, which means that those who were once worth big bucks are now much cheaper.

talkSPORT.com takes a look at the top 10 players who have suffered the greatest decrease in market value since the start of January, according to transfermarkt.

10. Gavi (€60m, £52m) – Down €20m (£17.4m)

The 21-year-old was considered one of the brightest midfield talents in the world when Barcelona won LaLiga in 2022-23.

However, he ruptured his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in November 2023, which saw him miss Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.

Gavi returned to action 11 months later last October, but has since struggled to reassert himself as first-choice under Hansi Flick.

The Spaniard started just 11 of Barca’s 29 matches in LaLiga after his comeback, and only played a combined 21 minutes across both legs of the club’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter Milan.

Getty

Gavi has continued his substitute role this campaign and has since suffered a fresh knee issue to add insult to literal injury.

The La Masia graduate signed a new contract in January with a €1bn (£836m) release clause – but now is worth just a tenth of that.

9. Eduardo Camavinga (€60m, £52m) – Down €20m (£17.4m)

Barcelona’s rivals, Real Madrid, face similar problems with their own midfield starlet, who was once heralded as Casemiro’s successor.

Los Blancos fought off stern competition from Premier League clubs to sign Camavinga from Rennes in 2021, which initially looked a steal.

The customary Spanish £1bn release clause was plugged into the 22-year-old’s contract extension he signed in November 2023.

Getty

Earlier that year, the Frenchman had become the youngest player in Madrid history to win all six club trophies available at the Bernabeu.

However, he has at times been forced to operate as a makeshift left back, such is the depth of midfield competition at the club.

Cruelly, Camavinga has been unable to take advantage of Toni Kroos’ retirement and Luka Modric’s exit due to a flurry of injuries.

The 2022 World Cup finalist is yet to play a minute this term, having suffered a sprained ankle on the eve of the new season.

It is the fifth separate injury Camavinga has suffered in the last 12 months, which limited him to 19 appearances in LaLiga last season.

Getty

8. Rodri (€110m, £96m) – Down €20m (£17.4m)

The Ballon d’Or winner could make the argument that his value should have increased during his recent struggles with injuries, such has been Man City’s fall-off in his absence.

Rodri became the first Premier League winner of the Golden Ball since Cristiano Ronaldo when he beat out Vinicius Junior in October.

The Spaniard lifted football’s greatest individual prize as a reward for winning both the Premier League and Euro 2024 with Spain.

But an ACL injury sustained on his first start of last season saw Man City endure their worst run of form in 18 years en route to failing to win a historic fifth consecutive title.

A 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Saturday was the first Premier League match City have lost with Rodri in the starting XI since February 2023.

“I’m not Messi. I’m not going to come back and just make the team win and win and win,” said Rodri afterwards. “This is a collective, when we won in the past, I needed all my teammates.

“For sure I need to recover my best level and we have to look to all of ourselves. It is a collective sport. Hopefully, after the [international] break we can be much better.”

7. Erling Haaland (€180m, £156m) – Down €20m (£17.4m)

If this one comes as a surprise, it may just be that the Norwegian put such an impossible value on himself with his record form.

Haaland smashed in 52 goals across all competitions in his first season at the Etihad en route to winning City’s first treble.

His absurd debut season saw him set a record for the most Premier League goals scored in a single season with an incredible 36.

Having finished runner-up to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or, the 25-year-old has naturally seen a slight drop off from those standards.

Haaland’s 27 goals in 2023-24 remained enough to retain the golden boot and defend City’s crown, before last season’s woes.

His 34 strikes in all competitions were his fewest since the 2021/22 season for Borussia Dortmund, where he’d played 18 fewer games.

Nevertheless, Haaland has been tied down to a new City contract whose total value is £250m – £100m more than his transfer worth.

AFP

6. Bernardo Silva (€38m, £33m) – Down €22m (£19m)

The 31-year-old completes the Man City trifecta that has seen their stocks fall amid the club’s ever-turbulent calendar year.

Silva was branded as Pep Guardiola’s ‘favourite player’ as recently as April 2023 following his ever-present role in the Etihad set-up.

But the six-time Premier League winner was only fit to claim the less coveted honour of being the top-flight’s slowest player last term.

Despite his waning influence on the pitch, Guardiola did show how much he still values Silva by making him the club captain in June.

Getty

5. Rasmus Hojlund (€35m, £30m) – Down €25m (£22m)

The Dane will be desperate to claw back some of his value on loan at Napoli after two tough seasons at Manchester United.

Hojlund managed to score only 26 goals in 95 appearances for the Red Devils since he joined in a £72m deal from Atalanta in 2023.

Just four of those came in the Premier League last season, and he was made surplus to requirements after Benjamin Sesko’s arrival.

Hojlund was even branded a ‘£70m trialist’ who is not Premier League quality by talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino last month.

It’s understood Napoli have a conditional obligation to buy Hojlund, worth €44m [£38m], included in his initial season-long loan move.

Should the Serie A side qualify for the Champions League, they will have to pay United that fee and sign him permanently next summer.

Coupled with the €6m [£5.2m] loan cost, Ruben Amorim’s men stand to rake in more than Hojlund’s actual value despite the loss overall.

4. Dusan Vlahovic (€35m, £30m) – Down €25m (£22m)

Newcastle were told to make a late move for the former Arsenal target last month, and their refusal to do so said it all.

Juventus were willing to accept offers as low as €30m – below even his actual value – to get the Serb off their wage bill.

However, talkSPORT revealed Vlahovic was not a hot topic at St James Park as Newcastle instead signed Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade.

The Old Lady paid over €70m (with bonuses) for the striker in January 2022, beating out Arsenal and other top European clubs.

Three years on, the 25-year-old stands to leave Turin as a free agent next summer, having done little to justify his €12m-a-year wages.

Vlahovic has managed 60 goals over his 147 appearances for the Bianconeri, including two in two in just 38 Serie A minutes this term.

3. Martin Odegaard (€85m, £74m) – Down €25m (£22m)

The Arsenal captain has come under intense scrutiny from club legends following a struggle with both fitness and form.

Tony Adams claimed that Odegaard should be stripped of Arsenal’s captaincy, with Martin Keown expecting more from him creatively.

The Norwegian has worn the armband since the start of the 2022/23 season, and has overseen three successive runners-up finishes.

During that period, his numbers have dropped from 15 Premier League goals, to eight, and then just three in the top-flight last term.

Odegaard also endured a 66-day spell out injured at the start of last campaign, and is without a single goal contribition this term either.

Speaking after Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain, Danny Murphy told talkSPORT’s White & Jordan: “I think he just gets a little bit overawed by the real big one.

“I can see it in him – He’s not as risky in his play. He’s not as free!”

AFP

2. Vinicius Junior (€170m, £148m) – Down €30m (£26m)

October 28, 2024 was the date the Brazilian’s seemingly unstoppable trajectory was brought to a screeching fault by France Football.

Vinicius Jr finished second behind Rodri in the Ballon d’Or, with Real Madrid infamously refusing to send any representatives to the ceremony following leaks that their talisman would not win.

The 25-year-old was defiant in his response on social media, writing: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”

Unfortunately for Vinicius, he has struggled to live up to that claim with his performances dipping dramatically since finishing second.

Under new boss Xavi Alonso, the winger started Madrid’s 1-0 season-opening win over Osasuna, but was dropped for matchday two.

Vinicius was restored to the starting XI on Saturday, and rewarded his manager’s show of faith by scoring the winner against Mallorca.

Even if the attacker fails to return to top form, ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia will mean Madrid’s valuation will more than be met.

1. Phil Foden (€100m, £87m) – Down €40m (£35m)

The ‘Stockport Iniesta’ has seen his stocks fall to an all-time low in what should be his biggest year to date, for both club and country.

This season, Foden has the opportunity to live up to his tag as Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term successor at Man City.

A stellar 2023/24 campaign saw him named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year as he inspired his side to the Premier League title.

Yet a tally of 13 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances last season represented 20 less goal contributions than that standout campaign.

The 25-year-old revealed off-field issues have played a part in his ‘frustrating season’, as he pulled out of England duty in June.

A chance to demonstrate that he can be a key part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the World Cup have since been hampered by injury.

Foden has played just 15 Premier League minutes for Man City this season, having missed two of the club’s opening three matches.

AFP