663 players updated 

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Transfermarkt has just updated the market values of as many as 663 players in the latest Championship market value update this May. Incredibly, the English second-flight is actually the sixth most valuable league in world football – only behind Europe’s top-five leagues. The Championship is renowned for being one of the most entertaining divisions in world football, and once again this season didn’t disappoint. Coventry City and Ipswich Town were promoted automatically, whilst Hull City won the play-offs, after Southampton were expelled for the highly-controversial ‘spy-gate’ incident.

Among the biggest winners of May’s market value update were Millwall winger Femi Azeez, Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, and Swansea City striker Žan Vipotnik, whilst there were further increases for star players such as Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Coventry’s Milan van Ewijk. Champions Coventry rose the most in squad value, followed by Millwall, who were knocked out of the play-off semi-finals by Hull City.

Hayden Hackney becomes Championship all-time MVP

Last month, Middlesbrough midfielder Hackney was awarded the official Championship Player of the Season award, and it was thoroughly deserved. Middlesbrough did very well to hold on to Hackney last summer – he was close to a big money move to Ipswich, with Premier League clubs also interested at the time. But he stayed, and he has been a revelation this season. It was no surprise the fact that Middlesbrough’s form plummeted when he got injured. “He is a midfielder who offers everything: he is a fantastic passer of the ball, can glide past players, and is a goal threat too,” explains Transfermarkt Championship market value coordinator, Ben Littlemore.

This May, Hackney received another +€4m market value increase to take his value to €32m – making the midfielder worth €10m more than any other player in the division, and the Championship’s all-time MVP. He’s also has been a consistent selection throughout England’s youth ranks. “Now that Middlesbrough didn’t go up, I can’t see anyway that they can hold on to him any longer. Brighton, Everton, Manchester United, Tottenham and Ipswich have all shown interest, and I would expect him to move for €32m or north of that,” adds Littlemore. As illustrated in the graphic above, when it comes to the other Championship MVPs, there are now two players worth €22m – Swansea striker Vipotnik (+€7m), and Coventry’s van Ewijk (+€4m). There was a -€4m downgrade for Leicester winger Abdul Fatawu, who is now worth €20m.

Femi Azeez leads biggest winners

The biggest winner of the entire Championship update was Millwall winger Azeez, who has shone for the Lions this season. “We probably were a bit too cautious with Azeez and had him a bit too low before,” admits Littlemore. “But the form he ended the season with confirmed his quality and with plenty of interest expected this summer – even from Premier League teams – he needed a big upgrade.” Azeez’s value rose from €5m to €15m this May.

There were +€7m increases for Swansea striker Vipotnik (new value: €22m), who was the Championship’s top goalscorer with 23 goals, and Millwall defender Tristan Krama (€10m). The next biggest winner was Coventry goalkeeper Rushworth, who increased by +€6m to a new value of €18m. There were also +€6m increases for Southampton midfielder Caspar Jander (€18m), and Coventry winger Ephron Mason-Clark (€16m), whilst Leicester’s 16-year-old talent Jeremy Monga (€15m) rose by +€5m, despite the Foxes relegation. As did Swansea full-back Josh Tymon (€10m).

Coventry & Millwall with biggest squad value increases

When it comes to the biggest squad increases, it’s little surprise to see title winners Coventry leading the way. The Sky Blues saw their squad value increase by +€33m to a new figure of €226m. They become the most valuable squad in the league for the very first time, having begun the season in eighth in that regard just after last summer’s transfer window slammed shut. The second biggest increase came to Millwall, whose squad value increased by +€23m to €105m – they are now the seventh most valuable club in the Championship.

“Frank Lampard has done a fantastic job to develop the squad and secure promotion,” says Littlemore. “They spent just €10.5m last summer, but so many of the players that were already at the club have come on leaps and bounds over the course of the season. I still think they will have to spend some money and bring in some more quality to survive in the Premier League next season, but the club’s achievements this term are testament to Lampard and the players.”

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).