An unexpected title race in France, Juventus' €100m striker and 5 Premier League stars on the rise

World Cup Stars, Turkey's Collapse & Liverpool's Risky Transfer Strategy

The World Cup is in full swing, and the Transfermarkt team is breaking down everything that matters — from the tournament's biggest emerging stars to the Premier League clubs spending big this summer.First up, three players who have stolen the show in the group stages: Folarin Balogun, the New York-born Monaco striker who is quietly making the USMNT his own team; Felix Nmecha, the Dortmund midfielder who is emerging as Germany's most impressive performer — and potentially their most valuable asset; and Brian Brobbey, the Netherlands powerhouse finally fulfilling the potential that has long been whispered about in Amsterdam.Then, the team turns to Turkey's brutal early exit — the ninth nation ever to be eliminated at the group stage in a World Cup — with a special guest breaking down what went wrong, whether coach Vincenzo Montella should stay, and why there is still real reason for optimism ahead of Euro 2028 and a home World Cup in 2032.Finally, back to England, where Liverpool and Tottenham are the Premier League's most active clubs this summer. Are the Reds replacing what actually needs replacing, or are they chasing headlines? And can Spurs use this window to address the structural problems that held them back last season?Chapters00:00 What's on Episode 16 of Market Values?01:03 Catching up with Manu at the World Cup02:56 Spotlight on Folarin Balogun: Rising Star of the US Team09:37 Felix Nmecha: Germany's New Midfield Dynamo15:52 Brian Brobbey: The Netherlands' Emerging Striker21:40 Liverpool's summer signings and future plans32:38 Tottenham's summer signings and future plans44:05 Turkey's World Cup Disappointment47:08 Expectations vs. Reality for Star Players50:02 Media Pressure and Player Performance53:09 Coaching Decisions and Future Prospects55:48 Looking Ahead: Hope for the Future

14 players (from outside Europe) that you need to pay attention to at this World Cup

Welcome back to Market Values, the official podcast of Transfermarkt! Episode 15 is here, and with the World Cup in full swing, we've gathered our global team of area managers and editors to shine a spotlight on the players you need to have on your radar - the hidden gems, rising stars, and transfer window wildcards flying under the radar at the tournament.This week, we go continent by continent. Our Asia area manager Tiberius Radziejewski kicks things off with four fascinating names: Japan's Keito Nakamura, already catching the eye of clubs like AS Roma after a stunning performance against the Netherlands; Uzbekistan's explosive young winger Abbosbek Fayzullaev; South Korea's attacking midfielder Jun-ho Bae, who could use his minutes at this tournament to seal a move away from Stoke City; and the wonderfully well-travelled Australian midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler, who announced himself on the World Cup stage in dramatic fashion against Turkey.Then we head to South America, where Marcus Watts (Brazil), Scott Christensen (Argentina & South America), and Samuel Vasquez Rivas (Colombia) join us to discuss Ecuador's rock-solid centre-back JJoel Ordóñez - linked with Liverpool, Tottenham, Juventus and Chelsea - Colombia's exciting young midfielder Gustavo Puerta, Brazil's electric Bournemouth winger Rayan, and Argentina's Valentin Barco.We round out the show with our Africa section, where we cover a handful of players with serious potential to become breakout stars of the tournament, including a certain familiar surname from Ivory Coast - Guéla Doué - who may just have a massive summer ahead of him.Whether it's transfer rumours, World Cup performances, or the next generation of global stars, we've got you covered. Like, subscribe, and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!Chapters00:00 Episode 15 introduction01:05 Asian players to watch at the World Cup01:54 Keito Nakamura - Japan04:52 Abbosbek Fayzullaev - Uzbekistan08:02 Jun-ho Bae - South Korea12:09 Musab Al-Juwayr - Saudi Arabia15:29 Paul Okon-Engstler - Australia19:20 South American players to watch at the World Cup21:44 Joel Ordóñez - Ecuador 24:50 Gustvao Puerta - Colombia 28:04 Rayan - Brazil 34:39 Valentin Barco - Argentina 39:29 African to watch at the World Cup40:09 Luca Zidane - Algeria44:50 Christ Inao Oulaï - Ivory Coast50:22 Hamza Abdelkarim - Egypt56:04 Ayyoub Bouaddi - Morocco01:01:48 Guéla Doué - Ivory Coast

Have We Passed Peak Mbappé? And The Stars That Need a World Cup Comeback

With the 2026 World Cup days away, Stefan and Manu open by running through Transfermarkt's list of the biggest market value losers who need a strong summer — from Darwin Núñez (dropped to €20m after being offloaded by Al-Hilal) and Mohamed Salah, through Gavi, Nico Williams, and Vinicius Jr., up to the German duo of Wirtz and Musiala (both down to €100m), England's Saka and Bellingham (down €40m and €50m respectively), and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri at the top of the list — returning from an ACL tear and likely heading to Real Madrid.La Liga | Stefan sits down with Ewan Robertson to discuss Mbappé's €20m market value drop to €180m. Despite 42 goals and 7 assists, Real Madrid's dysfunction has taken its toll. They debate whether peak Mbappé is behind him, how Mourinho can possibly make that squad work, and whether Mbappé can silence the doubters with France — just 4 goals away from breaking Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record.Belgian Pro League | Bart joins to discuss Christos Tzolis, whose €10m rise to €40m makes him the most valuable player in Belgian top-flight history. The Greek winger had a stunning season at Club Brugge (22 goals, 29 assists in 52 games) and is attracting interest from Arsenal, Man United, Atlético, and more — with Club Brugge holding firm on their asking price.Serie A | Manu and Mario Sojke cover the key stories: Nico Paz rising to €80m at Como (with Real Madrid holding a buyback clause for as little as €9–11m), Kenan Yildiz stalling as Juventus miss the Champions League, Rasmus Højlund's brilliant redemption arc at Napoli (up to €60m), and Ederson looking set to join Man United from Atalanta for around €45m.Full market value updates and World Cup coverage at transfermarkt.com Chapters 00:00 What's on this week's episode of Market Values? 01:06 World Cup Excitement and Travel Plans 03:00 The 15 players that NEED to have a good World Cup 24:34 New market values in LaLiga 25:51 Kylian Mbappe loses €20m in market value 30:33 Has Mbappe worked at Real Madrid? 33:18 Can Mourinho fix Real Madrid's Mbappe problem? 38:20 Can Mbappe bounce back at the World Cup? 42:27 Christos Tzolis becomes Belgian football's historic MVP 45:56 How good has Tzolis been this season? 49:56 Does Tzolis have a point to prove in the Premier League? 53:46 Who will sign Tzolis in the summer? 59:52 Serie A Market Values 01:01:02 Nico Paz becomes 2nd biggest MVP in Serie A 01:06:45 Kenan Yildiz - stuck in limbo? 01:10:43 Rasmus Hojlund: Redemption Story in Serie A 01:14:45 Ederson: Man Utd's €45m star

Saka, Palmer & Wirtz All Drop - But Cherki, Kroupi & Saliba Are Rewriting the Record Books

In Episode 13 of Market Values hosts Manu Vett and Stefan Bienkowski discuss the latest market value updates across three leagues, plus a fascinating deep-dive into the biggest single market value increases in Transfermarkt history.🏆 Biggest-Ever Market Value RisesThe team explores Transfermarkt's all-time list of single largest market value upgrades — from Mohamed Salah's record-breaking €70m jump in 2018, to Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Kvara, and Cole Palmer. A nostalgic trip also takes in Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Didier Drogba's first-ever Transfermarkt valuations in 2004.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 English Championship Update (with Ben Littlemore)Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) becomes the most valuable player ever in the Championship with a €32m valuation, attracting interest from Man United, Tottenham and Everton. Plus: Femi Azeez's explosive rise at Millwall, and the sad reality of Leicester City's back-to-back relegation — now in League One — and the market value carnage left in its wake.🇳🇱 Eredivisie Update (with Kevin Lux — debut on the show!)Ajax winger Mika Godts ($10m → $35m) is on the radar of Liverpool, Bayern, Barcelona and Newcastle — but is he ready for the step up? Plus: Irish striker Troy Parrott continues his remarkable revival at AZ Alkmaar (31 goals + 12 assists), and could he break the club's transfer record this summer?🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League Update (with Ben Littlemore)524 players saw their values change. The big talking points:William Saliba reaches €100m — equalling Van Dijk as the most valuable centre-back in Premier League historyJunior Kroupi (Bournemouth) — the season's biggest winner at €70m, now the 5th most valuable teenager in world footballRyan Cherki doubles his value to €90m after a breakthrough season at Man City under GuardiolaSaka, Palmer & Wirtz all drop €10m amid a tough Premier League season for attacking playersWhat next for Florian Wirtz under Liverpool's incoming manager?💬 Want to discuss the market values? Head to the Transfermarkt forums at transfermarkt.com to vote, debate and filter by your favourite players, clubs and leagues.Subscribe for weekly market value updates, transfer news and football data discussion. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Episode 13 of Market Values 02:03 The biggest market value rises in Transfermarkt history 12:59 The English Champions market value update 15:05 Hayden Hackney: The Rising Star of the Championship 20:13 Femi Azeez: Millwall's Breakout Player 22:17 Leicester City's Dramatic Fall from Grace 27:40 Overview of the Eredivisie Season 29:51 The rise of Mika Godts at Ajax 35:21 How Troy Parrott turned his career around at AZ Alkmaar 40:09 Premier League Market Value Update 40:57 Saliba joins the €100m club 44:36 Top 10 biggest market value increases 48:05 Ryan Cherki's Breakthrough Season 52:34 Saka, Palmer and Wirtz lose market value

Does the Champions League Final Move Market Values? Plus Neymar's Return & Bundesliga Analysis

Episode 12 of Market Values is here! This week, Stefan and Manu break down the latest Transfermarkt market value updates from around the world. They're joined by Tobi Kroger for an in-depth look at the Bundesliga — including why Jamal Musiala has dropped €20M and what it means for Bayern and Dortmund's ageing squads. Plus, Marcos Watts joins from Brazil to give a fascinating local perspective on Neymar's falling value. The team also spotlights rising young stars from Turkey, Argentina, Denmark, and Austria — players who could soon be heading to Europe's biggest leagues. And with the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal on the horizon, how much is there left to gain for two of the world's most valuable squads?Chapters00:00 What's on Episode 12 of market values?03:13 How much does winning the Champions League impact a player's market value?16:35 Neymar's new market value and surprise call up for the World Cup32:06 Four young stars in Europe getting major market value updates54:13 Bundesliga Market Value Update analysis