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After updating the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A last week, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 193 players competing in Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol. But while Brazilian football is having a moment with many upgrades, the story is very different in Argentina. All players making up the top three have been downgraded, and, as a result, there isn’t a single player playing in Argentina with a market value of €10m. The most valuable player, despite a €1m downgrade from €10m to €9m, is now Kendry Páez. On loan from Chelsea at River Plate, Páez shares that top spot with Independiente’s Kevin Lomónaco (-€1m to €9m).

On loan from Europe, like Páez is Valentín Carboni from Racing Club. Carboni, who is on loan from Inter Milan, was downgraded from €11m to €8.5m, which ranks him second in Argentina. Why were Carboni and Páez downgraded? “They are both young talents that came to Argentina from one of the top five leagues to gain minutes,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Argentina and South America, Scott Christensen, said. “But they haven’t played much and, when they did, their performances were poor. Carboni’s downgrade was a bit more significant as he is older and because he is going to miss most of the season with an injury.”

Not on loan from a top-five league is Lomónaco. But there have been questions on why the defender hasn’t been able to facilitate a move to Europe. “Kevin Lomónaco is still one of the best center-backs in Argentina,” Christensen said. “His buildup play is still excellent, and he is crucial for his team’s attack. But the peak level he showed in the first half of the 2025 season has been absent. Then there is the fact that he still plays in Argentina.” All of that explains why Lomónaco was downgraded in the March update.

Market values Argentina: Santiago Sosa drops – Moreno no longer no.1

The other two players in the top three to see their market values drop are former Atlanta United midfielder Santiago Sosa and River Plate star Aníbal Moreno. “Santiago Sosa’s case is similar to Lomónaco’s: he played a fantastic 2025, arguably the best player in the league, but he’s moved back to the midfield since this year and he’s not as important for his team as he was,” Christensen said “He’s still a regular starter, but his irregular performances and the fact that he has already played in MLS, Brazil seems to be the only market for him. Add to the fact that he is 26, and his market value had to be dropped.” Sosa drops from €9m to €8m.

Moreno experienced an even bigger drop. “He had a higher market value as he came from a richer league,” Christensen said. River Plate signed the defensive midfielder from Brazilian giants Palmeiras for €7m. “Added to the fact that his first performances at River were poor, contributed to his significant downgrade in market value.” The 26-year-old saw his market value reduced from €11m to €8m. That €3m drop is the biggest by pure value of this market value update.

Downgrades among the top players are the main theme of this update. The only exception is Boca Juniors’ Milton Delgado. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder saw his market value increase from €6m to €7m. “Delgado is a young midfielder who, despite having to compete with experienced players like Leandro Paredes, Ander Herrera, and Santiago Ascacíbar (all unchanged), managed to gain his position on the starting XI,” Christensen said. “He is one of the few players who perform well in what has been a heated environment due to the team’s bad results this season. Boca has received offers of around €8m during the last two transfer windows, but aren’t willing to sell him yet as it seems we aren’t any closer to seeing his full potential.”

Liga Profesional market values: Ignacio Ovando and Nicolás Barros Schelotto two to watch

The player with the biggest increase in market value by percentage is Rosario Central’s Ignacio Ovando. “Argentina has been selling a lot of young center-backs to Europe over the last few years, and it seems Ovando will be the next one,” Christensen said. “He has a big personality and plays calmly with the ball, something that’s at least surprising considering he’s 18 years old and playing for one of the best teams in Argentina. He’s won his position and is a regular starter.” As a result, Ovando saw his market value increase by 2700% from €125,000 to €3.5m.

Another player with a significant increase in market value is Nicolás Barros Schelotto, the son of Columbus Crew legend Guillermo. “He played a few games at the end of 2025, and he’s started to explode this year,” Christensen said. “He’s Gimnasia’s key player, takes care of set pieces and creates dangerous moments with his left foot, and has an incredible long shot, can play great through balls, and even has scored direct from a corner.” The 19-year-old Gimnasia midfielder saw his market value increase by 700% from €500,000 to €4m.

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 ).