Süper Lig market values: big increase for Fernandes, Fenerbahce drop despite strong start

©Imago/Content stadium

The first market value update of the major European leagues has been published today, with over 600 new values for players across the Turkish Süper Lig. Gedson Fernandes fromBesiktas was the biggest winner from the update, as well as his club being one of only two across the entire division to see their overall squad value increase. Most notably the two Istanbul clubs, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, were given decreased squad market values despite strong starts to the season.

Now at his third club in Turkey, Fernandes continued his development with an impressive start to the season which has subsequently seen his market value jump by €5 million to €17 million. Since his transfer from Benfica to Besiktas last summer, Fernandes has seen his market value almost triple in value. Such has been the manner in which he has impressed in the Turkish top-flight.

Market Value

G. Fernandes Central Midfield

€16.00m

“Gedson Fernandes has a very good market, many clubs are interested in him. Besiktas wants to sell the player for a profit soon. If he had been sold at the old market value, there would have been no profit left for the club because he was brought in from Benfica for €6m and the Portuguese club have a resale share of 50%," explains Gökhan Yagmur, area manager for Transfermarkt Turkey. This new market value would not only earn Besiktas a tidy profit, but also make the 24-year-old one of the three most expensive sales in the club's history.

Süper Lig market values: Fenerbahce and Galatasaray lose squad value

As previously stated, no less than 18 clubs in the Turkish top-flight lost market value, including giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray despite both remaining undefeated in all competitions this season. The reigning cup winners have won all twelve competitive games so far and still recorded the biggest loss in the league at €5.3m. The reasons for this lies primarily in the previous summer transfer window, in which Fenerbahce signed 15 new players. As Yahmur explains: “Due to the additions, there was a very high squad value of more than €200m at the end of the transfer period, which could not be overlooked despite the good start to the season. Many of the new additions had to have their values adjusted. Fenerbahce also has the third oldest squad in the league at 27.1 years.”

The situation at Galatasaray is no different. The drop in values of new signings such as Wilfried Zaha (-€2m to €20m), Cédric Bakambu (-€1.6m to €3.4m), Tetê (-€1m to €24m), Tanguy Ndombélé (-€1m to €21m), Hakim Ziyech (-€1m to €15m), Davinson Sánchez (-€1m to €14m) and Angeliño (-€1m to €11m) have little or nothing to do with the performances shown so far, but were just as unavoidable due to their respective moves to a weaker league. However, it wasn’t all bad news for Galatasary. Six of the 13 biggest increases in value were given to their players in the form of top goalscorer Mauro Icardi (+€1m to €20m), who scored ten times in his first eleven appearances, left winger Kerem Aktürkoglu (+€2m to €17m) and right-back Sacha Boey (+€1m to €17m), who has more than quadrupled its market value since the summer 2022.

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).