THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic that has already decimated the world of football has also wiped a staggering £8.3 BILLION off the transfer values this summer.
A study from researchers at the CIES Football Observatory found that the total market in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues will suffer a drop of 28 percent if the respective seasons are scrapped.
Transfer values of Premier League squads have been decimated by the coronavirus crisis
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That will mean the top flights in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France’s collective £29bn value before the COVID-19 outbreak will drop to £20.7bn if no more matches are played and contracts set to expire in June are not renewed.
The Football Observatory have their own system of estimating values based on various factors including the players’ age, contract duration, career path and recent performance.
Manchester United star Paul Pogba, whose deal expires next year, is particularly affected with injuries restricting him to just seven Premier League appearances this season.
The Frenchman, who has been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Juventus, has seen his value sliced in half to just £31.25million.
The study showed that clubs that would face the greatest potential percentage loss in the transfer values of their players were Marseille with a 37.9 per cent drop.
Sheffield United were named as the top Premier League side, with their squad potentially dropping 33.2 per cent from £166m to £111m by the end of June.
Although Premier League champions Manchester City are actually Europe’s biggest losers as £366m is wiped off the market value of their players, more than any other club in the top five leagues.
Pep Guardiola’s side have captain David Silva leaving on a free transfer this summer, while star names Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, and Fernandinho are all out contract at the end of next season.
Just behind City are fellow big spenders Barcelona, who would lose £325m from the value of their LaLiga winning squad.
Champions League winners Liverpool are next with a potential £314m loss, with Adam Lallana, Gini Wijnaldum and Dejan Lovren all nearing the end of their deals.
Real Madrid (£311m), United (£260m), Chelsea (£223m), and Arsenal (£154m), can also all expect heavy losses during the coronavirus crisis.
Spurs complete the list with their squad evaluation falling from £699m to £497m, which is actually more significant that both Liverpool and Chelsea in percentage terms (28.8).
SunSport previously reported how the Premier League may not restart until July… and then could all be finished behind closed doors within four weeks, according to reports.
All professional football in England is currently postponed until the end of April due to the coronavirus.
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But as the pandemic continues to have devastating consequences across the country, it looks increasingly likely that the suspension will be pushed back further.
Footie chiefs would ideally get the campaign wrapped up and completed by June 30 due to complications surrounding contracts.
At Chelsea, for example, Willian and Pedro are out of contract on that date but Hakim Ziyech’s deal begins on July 1.
Paul Pogba’s transfer value will plummet if the season is scrappedCredit: AFP or licensors
Aaron Ramsey to ‘join Man United in Paul Pogba swap deal with Solskjaer a big fan of Juventus star’, reports claim
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
