Market values Argentina: Copetti, Retegui and Premier League target Buonanotte on the up

Transfermarkt has completed an intermediate update of market values in Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol. Several high-profile players have departed during the summer transfer window. A total of 329 footballers were readjusted, with around 89 of those discussed in the market value analysis for the first time. River Plate remain the most valuable club, although the squad value dropped by around €6 million due to the devaluations of Paulo Díaz (-€1.5m to €5.5m), Juan Fernando Quintero (-€1.5m to €3.5m), Tomás Pochettino (-€1.4m to €2.5m) and Esequiel Barco (-€2m to €8m).

Álvarez, Bentancur & Co. The Argentinean top tier's record sales Click here for overview Among others, Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, José Manuel López, Fausto Vera, Ezequiel Bullaude, Cristian Pavón and Giuliano Galoppo had left since the last update. Due to River Plate’s sales of Álvarez and Fernández, which earned Los Millonarios a total of €27 million, Nicolás De La Cruz (€13m) is now the most valuable player in the league. The only one besides the Uruguayan with a double-digit million market value is Facundo Farías. Argentina’s gem of CA Colon is now valued at €10 million. After a brilliant year in 2021, the striker was unable to maintain his level in 2022 and was therefore devalued by €2 million. As a result, none of the 40 most valuable Argentines in the world currently play in the Liga Profesional.

Three further footballers complete the podium of the most valuable players with a market value of €8.5 million each: Carlos Alcaraz (+€0.5m), Alan Varela (+€1.5m) and Máximo Perrone (+€6.5m). The latter received the highest upgrade in the latest update. The youngster of Vélez Sarsfield, who picked up experience in the U-17 and U-20 national teams, showed a remarkable performance in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals. At 19, he was already the captain and playmaker of his side and aroused the interest of European clubs recently.

Market values Argentina: Brighton target Buonanotte on the up

The league’s top scorers have all seen their market value rise: Mateo Retegui, who sits at the top of the scoring charts with 12 goals to his name, received a €5 million boost to his value, making him one of the league’s ten most valuable players at €6.5 million. Enzo Copetti, Racing Club’s most prolific striker, has similar characteristics to Retegui and saw his value increase by €2.3 million.

Talking about the best player in the Liga Profesional in 2022, there is no way around Franco Cristaldo. Huracán turned out to be the ideal place for the 26-year-old to fulfil his potential in recent years, reaching the highest market value of his career (€5.5m) and the fourth consecutive increase. His club also received the most upgrades (12) in the current update and achieved a squad value plus of €10.8 million, surpassed only by Vélez (+€14.7m).

Seventeen-year-old Facundo Buonanotte has played only 24 games for Rosario Central and three for the U-20 national team but also caused a sensation in the Argentinean top flight. The attacking midfielder’s performances have already earned him comparisons with national hero Lionel Messi. His market value increased by €5.95 million after he had been on the verge of a move to Brighton in the summer.

Liga Profesional update: Benedetto, Sosa & Co. devalued

In addition to the devaluations mentioned at the beginning, other experienced players such as Ricardo Centurión (-€1m to €0.5m), Sebastián Sosa (-€0.8m to €1.2m), and Darío Benedetto (-€0.8m to €2.2m) dropped in market value. Centurión seemed focused on regaining his level at San Lorenzo, but from one day to the next, he decided to distance himself from football. Talented as he may be, the 29-year-old lacked consistency. The downgrades for Sosa and Benedetto were primarily due to their age and mixed performances.

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).