Hundreds of players 

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Around six weeks after the transfer window is closed, several hundred players are still listed as free agents. Some, like the most valuable free agent on the list, Oumar Solet, have already found a new club. Solet will have to wait until January until he can officially join the Serie A club. Other prominent names like Sergio Ramos and Dele Alli would immediately be available for a club. But because they haven’t signed for a new club yet, those two and other players have seen their market values downgraded. 

The most valuable player without a club is former Red Bull Salzburg defender Solet. The 24-year-old has signed a contract with Udinese that will run until 2027. Last summer, Hoffenheim were among the clubs interested in the French center-back, but Solet failed his medical. Then, in mid-September, Solet terminated his contract in Salzburg; the Austrian club no longer considered the defender part of their plans. As a result, Solet’s market value dropped by €2m to €8m. 

There are 51 free-agent players with a market value of at least €1m. Among them are prominent names like All (-€1.5m to €3.5m), who is currently training at his former club Everton, pushing for a comeback. Then there is Sergio Ramos (-€0.7m to €1.8m). The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and Major League Soccer. Another option might be a return to Real Madrid, where he could be a short-term replacement for the injured Daniel Carvajal.  

From Ramos to Choupo-Moting: Market value drops for free agents

Two other candidates still looking for a new club are former Bayern Munich striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting (-€0.7m to €1.8m) and Wissam Ben Yedder. While Choupo-Moting is still actively looking for a new club, the situation could be more difficult for Ben Yedder. The former French national team striker is currently on trial for sexual assault under the influence of alcohol. Ben Yedder was reportedly in talks with several clubs ahead of the incident. The Frenchman is the biggest loser in the market value update, dropping by 50% to now €4m.

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).