top 20 revealed 

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The international break offers an opportunity for fans to look back at how their team has played so far this season and pinpoint which players have and haven’t performed. But while the heroes of this season are already lavished in praise and awarded plenty of attention, little has been made of which big names have so far struggled to make any impression at all in the current campaign. As such, here at Transfermarkt we wanted to take a moment to note which big names have been entirely overlooked by their managers in the last few months and whether or not that is likely to change in the coming months.

Which top players have been overlooked this season?

The list of Europe’s most valuable players who have played 200 minutes or less of league football this season includes a mix of young talents and seasoned stars who, despite limited playing time, are valued highly due to their potential or past performances. Leading the chart is Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, with a market value of €65 million, who has only managed 145 minutes this season. His valuation is largely due to his impressive spell at RB Leipzig, where he displayed his creativity, goal-scoring, and playmaking abilities. Unfortunately, an injury limited his impact at Chelsea last season, while this season has seen the French forward largely overlooked in the Premier League. Which, in turn, has seen a number of reports linking Nkunku with a departure from Chelsea in January. 

Endrick, the Brazilian teenage sensation, follows closely with a €60 million valuation despite playing only 47 minutes in LaLiga this season. There was a huge amount of fanfare over his arrival at Real Madrid in the summer, with his valuation reflecting the promise he had shown at Palmeiras. At just 17, Endrick is viewed as one of the brightest prospects in world football, with his agility, skill, and finishing already attracting immense attention, although he has yet to make his mark in European leagues and has been forced to play second fiddle to global stars like Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé. 

In third place is Ian Maatsen, who rarely curiously sits high on this list despite being the subject of serious interest from numerous clubs in the summer transfer window. Aston Villa ultimately won that contest for the full-backs signature, but have so far made very little use of their new season. Villa manager Unai Emery has done a super job since joining the Birmingham club, so few would doubt his methods. But opting instead to play 31-year-old Lucas Digne at left-back over the club’s third most expensive signing ever has raised a few eyebrows elsewhere. Despite his impressive €40m market value, Maatsen has played just 144 minutes of league football this season. 

Elsewhere, the top 20 list has a number of older stars that are either struggling to make the most of their new moves or seriously contemplating a new chapter in their career in the next transfer window. Raheem Sterling, Federico Chiesa, João Félix and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall make up almost half the top 10 and have played a combined total of 13 minutes of league football between them. Add to that the likes of Joe Gomez, Leon Goretzka and Jarell Quansah and you have a rogue squad of seriously talented players that could be considering transfer requests in the forthcoming January transfer window.  

Of course, not all the names on this list will be entirely upset at their lack of game time so far this season. Alongside the ageing stars that will be demanding first team football, there are also a number of young stars that are still cutting their teeth at senior level. As such, it’ll come as no great surprise that the likes of Archie Gray (18 years old), Luis Guilherme (18) and Michael Kayode (20) aren’t starting every game for their respective clubs this season. With bags of potential, they have justifiably high market values for their age. But still have plenty of time to develop into the players they’re expected to become.