Nowadays, the quality and ability of footballers is drawn down to a mere number, their transfer value.
While certainly not the sole representative of a player’s talent, transfer values do show just how much of an asset that player is or can be.
Numbers are often quoted around ranging from the far fetched to the meagre but for those looking for a more accurate approximation, Transfermarkt.com is the preference.
The German website which has been active since 2000, keeps detailed stats of players from various leagues and updates their transfer market values, which is based on multiple factors.
Age, G/A ratios, XG creation etc all come into play while determining a player’s market value.
Through their social accounts, the website has grown quite popular and has even grabbed the attention of major football stars, including Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back in 2020, the website’s Instagram page posted an XI containing super-agent Jorge Mendes’ top clients.
The team included the likes of Angel Di Maria, Ruben Dias, Ederson and additionally Ronaldo.
Underneath the names were mentioned the market value of the players as per the website.
The Man Utd forward, who was 34 at the time, was given a denomination of €75m, a figure the man himself did not appreciate.
As revealed by Transfermarkt’s Daniel Busch (via The Athletic), the forward texted the website’s social media account and argued that his value simply has to be more.
The social media team, who were probably quivering upon receiving the player’s complaint, explained to him the reason and the factors for the value.
They additionally told him that age plays a huge part and that he was by far the most valuable player of his age group.
In response, Ronaldo sent a few smiley face emojis and then proceeded to block the page, concluding the hilarious anecdote.
The story acts as proof that even superstars keep track of the narratives surrounding them, and one can only wonder how Ronaldo would react upon discovering that his current value as per the website is just €35m.