Philippe Coutinho may generally be seen as Liverpool’s star man, but it is compatriot Roberto Firmino who is regarded as the Reds’ most valuable player in a report from CIES.
In the annual list of the world’s most in-demand footballers, compiled by CIES Football Observatory, Firmino is the Liverpool player with the highest ceiling.
The 25-year-old has proven to be a fantastic signing since joining from Hoffenheim in 2015, with his class and intelligence in the final third making him a favourite of Jurgen Klopp‘s.
Firmino is currently valued at €85.3million, making him the 20th most valuable player in Europe currently.
While the Brazilian is very highly-rated by many, it will come as a surprise that he is seen as a more expensive player than Coutinho.
Liverpool’s attacking talisman, who captained Brazil to victory against Australia on Tuesday, has a valuation of €70.8million – arguably below what the Reds would demand for his signature.
Forty-seventh on the list of Sadio Mane (€64.5million), with Gini Wijnaldum 57th (€59.9million) and Nathaniel Clyne 102nd (€42.1million).
Some of Liverpool’s summer transfer targets also appear on the list, with Roma’s Mohamed Salah narrowly below Coutinho in 40th position (€67.5million) and Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk €47.4million and €46.6million, respectively.
That means if Liverpool do get Salah for around £35 million, it will be below this perceived ‘value’. They’d be over-paying for Van Dijk though.
Topping the pile this year is neither Lionel Messi (4th) or Cristiano Ronaldo (11th), due mainly to the fact that Messi is about to turn 30 and Ronaldo is 32.
It is Messi’s Barcelona teammate Neymar who comes out on top, with a frankly absurd valuation of €210.7million, while Tottenham‘s Dele Alli is a shock runner-up (€155.1million).
Harry Kane is third (€153.6million), with Messi fourth and Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann (€150.3million) completing the top five.
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