Title: 2025 CIES Transfer Values Suggest Man City's Sliding Scale
Manchester City's slump in the Premier League might have started ruling the roost in November, but there are hints suggesting this could be part of a more prolonged downward spiral.
The International Centre for Sports Studies' (CIES) Football Observatory releases a biannual list of the world's top 100 players based on their transfer value. Last January, City boasted an impressive eleven players on this list. Fast forward to this year, and only seven of Manchester City's stars make the cut.
This ranking is determined by evaluating a player's talent, age, contract period, and the league and club they represent. The overall value of players has decreased this year, and considering the euro-denominated list, the dollar value has fallen even more sharply. Real Madrid's midfielder Jude Bellingham, previously valued at a whopping $293 million in 2024, now stands at $258 million in 2025.
Real Madrid dominates the 2025 list, with ten players featured, and three of them securing a place in the top five. Jude Bellingham takes the top spot, followed by Vinicius Junior in third at $211 million and summer acquisition Kylian Mbappe in fifth, valued at $180 million.
Mbappe, who was previously the most expensive player on the list, slumped to 27th position last year due to his contract with Paris Saint-Germain nearing its end. However, his move to Real Madrid and a new contract have catapulted him back into the top five, despite his age (26) making him the oldest player in the top fifteen.
Manchester City's other top-five members are Erling Haaland in second with a valuation of $228 million and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in fourth at $185 million.
Manchester City's plummeting position might be related to their aging squad. The team has few players who are in their prime years, with several key players past their prime and beginning to decline in value. For instance, three of last year's list stalwarts, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and Jack Grealish, have all turned 29 years old.
It's important to note that City has offloaded their third most valuable player, Julian Alvarez, to Atletico Madrid. However, the club's summer signing, Savinho, has replaced Alvarez as City's third most valuable player after Haaland and Phil Foden.
City's setback is relative, but they still lead the charge in the Premier League with more players on the list than their local rivals, Manchester United. Arsenal tops the Premier League clubs with eight players, followed by Liverpool with seven and Chelsea with six. Barcelona has also seen a decline in their represented players, falling from eight last year to six this year.
Perhaps the most unexpected turn of events is the presence of two Bournemouth players - Illya Zabarnyi and Evanilson - on the pending 2025 list. Bournemouth, currently battling for a European spot and outperforming their league position based on expected goals, have made some impressive transfers that have earned these two players a spot in the top 100.
The CIES Football Observatory's report predominantly features 49 players from the Premier League, 20 from LaLiga, 13 from the Bundesliga, 12 from Serie A, four from Ligue 1 (all Paris Saint-Germain players), and two from Liga Portugal.
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- The CIES Football Observatory, while renowned for tracking football players' values, does not provide real-time updates or specific rankings for individual players. However, the general trends and players' position changes can be inferred based on recent reports and team performances.
- Manchester City actively participates in the transfer market, particularly in the defensive department, with reports suggesting the acquisition of Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for around £20 million ($25m), which could potentially inflate his value if he performs well in Manchester City.
- To gain a precise understanding of the changes in player values and Manchester City's position, it is advisable to await the upcoming report from the CIES Football Observatory or equivalent authoritative sources.
Despite Manchester City's decline in the CIES Football Observatory's top 100 players list, they still have more representatives in the Premier League than their rivals. Jude Bellingham, now valued at $258 million, is the highest-ranked player on Real Madrid's 2025 list, surpassing Kylian Mbappe, who returned to the top five following his move to the Spanish club.
