Saudi Pro League market values: Neymar no longer 1st - Benzema among downgrades

Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 519 Saudi Pro League players. The major headline is that there have been almost only downgrades among the most valuable players. Those downgrades are the result of Transfermarkt’s continued attempt to reflect the status of players with previous high market values now playing in a competition that is placed significantly below Europe’s top five leagues in both status but also level of sporting competition. 

The headline news remains Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old striker scored 44 goals in 45 games across all competitions for Al-Nassr this season. Ronaldo also secured the Golden Boot in the Saudi first division with 35 goals in 31 games. As a result, Transfermarkt opted to keep the Portuguese forward, who will represent Portugal at the European Championships this summer at €15m. That makes Ronaldo the most valuable 39-year-old and one of the most valuable over 34 players on the planet. 

While Cristiano Ronaldo remains at €15m, top stars like Neymar, Sadio Mané, and Karim Benzema all dropped in market value. Ronaldo’s teammate Mané saw his market value drop by 25% to now €20m. The former Liverpool and Bayern forward has scored 13 goals in 32 games this season for Al-Nassr and remains a star for his country. But the reality is also that he struggled at his last European destination, Bayern Munich, and was quickly packaged off to the Saudi Pro League when the opportunity presented itself. 

Saudi Pro League: Neymar and Benzema down by 33% 

At Al-Ittihad, former Real Madrid superstar Benzema remains engulfed in controversy. The 36-year-old has been in and out of the roster and remains strongly linked with a move away from Saudi Arabia. The Frenchman has scored nine goals in 21 league games, and it isn’t an understatement to suggest that Benzema’s time in Saudi Arabia has been a disappointment. His downgrade from €15m to €10m seems only consequential. 

Also consequential is the downgrade of Brazilian star Neymar. The 32-year-old saw his market value drop by 15% to €30m. Neymar is no longer the most valuable player in the Saudi Pro League, losing that spot to Rúben Neves (-€8m to €32m). Indeed, out of the top ten players in the Saudi Pro League, only one, Aleksandar Mitrović (unchanged at €28m), didn’t have his market value drop.

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).