YhBY TIM PARSONS
Liverpool star Raheem Sterling’s is worth a transfer value of £59.7m, and will be worth an estimated £73.7 by 2017, according to an independent football research company. The Football Observatory- a research group within the International Centre for Sports Studies- published its 6th monthly report in which it claims that a shortly approaching transfer window for countries of European football league.
The report states that ”the easing of financial play regime announced by FIFA will allow most affected clubs like Paris St Germans and Man City to invest massively in the recruitment of new players”. It speculates the likelihood that this would ”reinforce the process of rising transfer costs and result in new records concerning transfer expenditure”. Estimates are reportedly based on econometrical models that take into account numerous variables relative to players and their teams. The competitive level of the players team, the position of the player on the pitch, the span of their contract, and the players age, are all contributory factors to the transfer value of individual players.
Players with the highest transfer value often play for competitive teams and are active, according to the criteria used as a rationale of the report. Players in the high transfer bracket are also full internationals who play in attacking positions, under 27 years of age, and have long term contracts. Sterling who has 2 years left on his contract, recently rejected a £100,000 a week contract to transfer, and has been linked to Manchester City in terms of the club that is believed to be his next destination.
And among 100 players with the greatest transfer value, it is the 20 year old Jamaican born player, who has represented England at under 16, 17 and 21 year old’s, who has the highest transfer value, estimated at nearly £60m. Sterling is followed by Alexis Sanchez, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane and Phillipe Coutinho. The report also lists players with transfer values of over £20m, like Alexandee Lacazette, Gonzalp Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, and a number of others. Footballers with the greatest transfer probability are usually players from relegated clubs because teams are often obliged to make up for declining revenues through transfers. Sterling was recently rated as a football great by Steven Gerrard, and the Liverpool ace was not long ago the subject of tense discussions as to whether he would accept a transfer fee, if offered. His agent seemed to be bluffing and even cancelled a meeting about a fortnight ago to discuss his client’s future. Raheem Sterling will be chuffed to hear ranks so highly amongst 100 players, but may also have cause for concern, having not long ago turned down figures more than his official worth. Yet, the report suggests that his worth will be even higher at just over £70m in 2017 when his contract expires, if he does not accept any offers before then.
