Erling Haaland’s goal spree has been one of the biggest talking points among football fans this season. Haaland has led Manchester City to a hat-trick of glory and, unsurprisingly, his market value has reached seismic heights. On the other hand, his rival Kylian Mbappe has seen his shares drop significantly, due to many factors, especially off the field.
Statistically speaking, both forwards had tremendous seasons. Haaland justified his extravagant transfer fee by scoring 52 goals in just 53 games. 12 of those goals came in the UEFA Champions League, with the striker earning the title of top scorer in the competition. Among the multiple records he broke, Haaland also recorded the highest-scoring season in Premier League history by scoring 36 goals.
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— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) June 28, 2023
In addition to the frantic score, the Haaland also had a great year on the silverware side. In his first season at the Etihad, he won the FA Cup and Premier League titles, as well as the highly anticipated Champions League with City. His insane performances throughout the campaign, coupled with scoring the treble, put him in contention for the Ballon d’Or.
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Given his young age and unfathomable ceiling, CIES Football Observatory estimates Erling Haaland’s current transfer value at $265 million, making him the world’s most expensive player. As for Mbappéthe Frenchman is dead last on the table, with a relatively modest transfer value of $177 million.
The valuation is surprising to say the least, especially since the 24-year-old was ranked at the top last year. And his 2022-23 campaign wasn’t nearly bad enough to warrant such value.
Why has Kylian Mbappé’s transfer value dropped?
There are many reasons for this decline, but his performance throughout the season is certainly not one of them. Mbappé has scored 41 goals in just 43 appearances. PSG last season while leading them to the Ligue 1 title. Thanks to his domestic performances, the 24-year-old won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the third season in a row. He was also the top scorer in the French League for the 2022-23 season.
Mbappe has been particularly impressive on the National Front, as he enjoyed a World Cup campaign that will be talked about for decades. The Frenchman scored 8 goals throughout the tournament, including a memorable hat-trick against Argentina in the final. Considering all of this, it’s safe to say that the drop in his transfer value has little to do with his stats.
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– FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 22, 2022
Instead, the reason for this decline is his contractual situation at PSG. The CIES calculation model takes into account the length of contracts to provide the exact market value of a player at any given time. And with Mbappé’s contract expiring in 2024, it makes sense to suggest that a club should pay no more than $180 million to sign a player who will be available for free the following season.
