Süper Lig market values: Victor Osimhen drops again – Ups and downs for talents

​

507 players updated 

©TM/IMAGO

Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 507 Turkish Süper Lig players, and once again, top star Victor Osimhen has been hit with a downgrade. On loan from Napoli at Galatasaray, Osimhen originally arrived with a market value of €100 million in Türkiye last summer. That value was first downgraded to €75m, and after no transfer to a European top league materialized this winter, once again as part of this update to €70m. Despite that, Osimhen remains the most valuable player of the Süper Lig. 

“In the winter, there were countless speculations on whether Osimhen was going to leave Galatasaray before the end of his loan from Napoli,” Türkiye Area Manager at Transfermarkt Lara Karacan said. “According to media reports, several clubs would have been willing to trigger his €75m exit clause. But Osimhen decided to stay in the Süper Lig until the end of the season. For a player of his market value, such a decision certainly impacts his image and explains his drop in market value.” Indeed, it is surprising that Osimhen still plays in Türkiye. After all, the 26-year-old has been incredibly productive, scoring 26 goals and five assists in 30 games across all competitions.

Another top star who saw his market value drop is Fenerbahçe’s Allan Saint-Maximin. The 28-year-old former Newcastle United winger has managed just three goals and four assists in 26 games across all competitions. “Despite concrete interest from Napoli in the winter, Saint-Maximin’s role at Fenerbahçe has been diminished,” Karacan said. “The open conflict with Jose Mourinho underlined that he no longer plays much of a role in the coach’s plans. As he lost his standing and starting role, dropping his market value was only consequential.” Saint-Maximin saw his market value drop by 11.8% from €17m to now €15m. 

While Saint-Maximin saw his market value drop, one of Türkiye’s most intriguing talents, Yusuf Akçiçek, saw his market value skyrocket as part of the March update. The 19-year-old Fenerbahçe center-back saw his market value increase 3566.7% from €150,000 to €5.5m. “One of the most fascinating talents in Türkiye, who Mourinho has praised,” Karacan said. “Because of injury problems at Fenerbahçe, Yusuf was given significant playing time and paid that trust back with great performances in Lyon and Anderlecht. He also kept a cool head in the heated derby against Galatasaray. Akçiçek’s play hasn’t been lost on top clubs either as Tottenham or Man United have sent scouts to watch him. Based on percentage, his upgrade is the biggest in Fenerbahçe’s history.”

Another top talent, in the meantime, has seen his market value drop. Semih Kılıçsoy has been a player to watch. But the Besiktas forward has stagnated this season, scoring just four goals and six assists in 36 games across all competitions. “Last season, the ‘Turkish Agüero’ was one of Besiktas’ top players and drew interest from top clubs,” Karacan said. “This season, he hasn’t been able to show top performances, lacking consistency. He is no longer one of his team’s top players. As a result, his market value had to be adjusted slightly.” Kılıçsoy saw his market value drop slightly from €15m to now €14m as he is still considered a high potential player.

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).