June 9 – If the aggregate transfer value of squad players is a determining factor, then England are going to win Euro 2016. France will be the nearest challengers followed by Spain, Germany and Belgium.
The CIES Football Observatory has pulled out data from its transfer value of players database to build squad values for all competing teams at the championships.
The data shows a huge difference between nations with the total transfer value of 12 of the participating lower than that of Cristiano Ronaldo (€138 million), the most expensive player overall.
England tops the table of squad value at €751 million, followed by France (€697 million), Spain (€639 million), Germany (€601 million) and Belgium (€550 million).
Of course the transfer value does not relate directly to a player’s potential performance ability at this tournament as it takes into account weightings like age, and hence potential value is determined taking into account a number of seasons. England, with the youngest squad at the championships, will have higher player values because their younger players have values calculated for a number of seasons ahead as they reach their peaks, and not just calculated for this Championship.
At the bottom of the table is Hungary (€30 million), ahead of Romania (€51 million), Albania (€57 million) and Slovakia (€59 million).
However, as England’s Barmy Army pack their crosses of St George, chainmail suits and euro drinking vouchers for what is effectively their first foray across the Channel since Germany 2006, they will once again be filled with hope that this time football might just be coming home. Failing that, a lot of red wine will.
Source: CIES Football Observatory
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