Bukayo Saka [7]

Following the Transfermarkt market value updates of all the major European leagues, we can now take a look at which star players have made it into the 2023 most valuable XI. When compared to last season’s team, this collection of players comes in with a combined market value of €1.23 billion - no less than €130 million more than the team that was put together 12 months ago. Which goes some way to indiciating how many of the world’s best players have improved dramatically over the course of the last 10 months. 

The Champions League group stages are heating up, with plenty to play for in the upcoming weeks, as clubs look to prolong their stay in the biggest club competition in world football. We’ve already seen some big upsets as PSG were thrashed 4-1 by Newcastle, Lens beat Arsenal 2-1, and Manchester United were humbled 3-2 by Galatasaray at Old Trafford.

Harry Kane can’t stop scoring for Bayern Munich. The English national team captain has now scored 19 goals in 15 games across all competitions for Bayern this season. Furthermore, his brace against Galatasaray (2-1) also meant that Kane’s four goals in his first four Champions League games for Bayern had equalized a record set by Roy Makaay in 2003. But there is more! Kane has now scored 25 Champions League goals, and among all English players only Raheem Sterling (27) and Wayne Rooney (30) have scored more often in Champions League history. 

It’s a big international summer ahead, with the 2024 European Championships in Germany, and the 2024 Copa América on the horizon. But during this November international break, which national squads boast the highest accumulative market value? Three international sides top €1 billion.

It has been a thrilling year of top level football in Europe, with supporters treated to another 12 months of scintillating action. Manchester City stole the show, winning the treble following their Champions League final victory against Inter Milan. Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in dramatic fashion on the last day of the season, Barcelona won La Liga for the first time since 2019, PSG won a fifth title in six seasons, whilst Napoli won the Scudetto for the first time since the late great Diego Maradona was there in the 1990.

Transfermarkt’s recent market value updates across Europe's top leagues has seen some major changes in the top 100 most valuable players in the world list. Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram have entered the top 100, while Barcelona protege Lamine Yamal continues his impressive rise with a €10 million increase in the La Liga update. Jude Bellingham, however, was the biggest winner as his market value soared by €30m to become the joint most valuable player in the world alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Bellingham ranks higher than the Manchester City and PSG stars on our lists as the Englishman is younger than his compatriots. Declan Rice was a new addition to the top 10 with his market value moving to €110m. Below, we’ve analysed the top five most valuable players on the planet.  

It was a terrible end to 2023 for Arsenal, as their seemingly smooth title challenge took a huge blow in back-to-back defeats to West Ham and Fulham. The Gunners have scored just twice in their last four games, and have scored just 37 across the Premier League season so far - the lowest of the top four and less than tenth placed Newcastle. Those numbers become even more alarming when looking at the goalscoring stats of their preferred front three. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli have just 11 league goals between them, with Saka contributing over half of those. 

The Africa Cup Of Nations is well underway with some of the world's biggest stars such as Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action trying to lead their nation's to continental glory. Some players could be set to miss up to seven games with their club sides if their nations are to go all the way to the final of the tournament. 

After two months without Europe's top club competition, the Champions League is back. The round of 16 gets underway this Tuesday, and there are some tasty knockout games around the corner. Last year's champions Manchester City travel to FC Copenhagen to get us underway on Tuesday alongside 14-time winners Real Madrid, who face a trip to East Germany to play RB Leipzig.

Bukayo Saka picked up the ball on the right-wing for Arsenal, turned his defender and fired the ball into the corner of the net. A sight becoming so repetitive, one could be forgiven for suspecting déjà vu. It was the case again at the Emirates on Saturday evening. At just 22 years of age, Saka is one of the world’s best wingers right now and is performing at a remarkably consistent level for Mikel Arteta’s team. His excellent strike in Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Newcastle on Saturday was Saka’s seventh goal in his last five Premier League games. As a team, Arsenal are on fire - 25 goals scored in their last six league games since the winter break, and Saka is at the epicentre of everything good for the Gunners right now.