Most Valuable Serie A Players of 2021

Recently, we have been taking a look at different European leagues to find out who are the most valuable players in each league. first we explored the Premier League and the way the huge money that is brought into the game in the past decade have affected the values of its superstars and then we did the same with La Liga and found out that the situation is the same in Spain too with the difference being the disparity of valuable players that are in the top 3 clubs in Spain compared to the rest of the league.

Now it’s time for us to look at arguable Europe’s 3rd best league and a close competitior of both Premier League and La Liga in terms of finances and that is Italy’s Serie A. once the best league in the world, Serie A had taken time off from the spotlight until these past few seasons where it was once again flooded with great young talent, culminating in Italy winning the Euro 2020. Now let’s take a closer look at the players that made all these happen and are the

most valuable Serie A players of 2021

.

Most valuable players in Serie A

In ranking the most valuable players in Serie A, we have decided to once again refer to the Transfermarkt website as it is the most credible and reliable source when it comes to player values and all the financial aspects of football:

10. Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina, Serbia)

Let’s start this

most valuable players in Serie A

list with one of the league’s rising stars whom we previously named as one of the

, Dusan Vlahovic.

’s target man was in fact one of Serie A’s standout players as he was also among our Serie A rankings of 2020/21 for best players. Vlahovic’s signature was hotly contested this last summer and he is bound to become one of the biggest transfers in 2022, either in the upcoming January window or at the end of the season.

Born in 2000 and raised in Belgrade, Dusan Vlahovic joined Partizan’s youth academy when he was only 14 years old. He then proceeded to make his debut for the club when he was 16 years old and during his first two seasons there he impressed clubs around Europe enough to seriously consider signing him but in the end he decided to join Fiorentina which in hindsight seems like the perfect option for a player like Vlahovic to develop.

And develop he did, as the Serbian when on to have a breakout season in 2019-20 and then followed it up with world-class performances in the previous 2020-21 season. where he managed to score only 8 in the 2019-20 season, Vlahovic managed to score 21 last season and already has 12 goals in 14 matches this season, showing that he is in fact not a one season wonder and has the potential to become one of the greatest strikers of his generation.  Which is why it’s understandable that he is valued at €50m and is in fact one of the most valuable Serie A players of 2021, coming at No.10.

9. Franck Kessie (AC Milan, Ivory Coast)

Next up we have one of the best African players of recent years and one of the Best Serie A players right now, Franck Kessie. AC Milan’s general in midfield has been a big part of their success in recent years and has been a solid addition to the Serie A giant ever since he joined them from Atalanta in 2017. Last season, he was one of Milan’s top scorer despite his goals mainly coming from the penalty spot. His goals as well as his performances in midfield for Milan allowed Rossonerri to qualify for the Champions League after spending several seasons out of it.

Born and raised in Ouragahio, Ivory Coast, Franck Kessie was brought to Italy by Atalanta when he was barely 18 years old. A season at the youth academy was enough for him to be promoted to the first team and then loaned out to Cesena in 2015. Following his impressive performances there as well as his time at

in the following season, AC Milan came for Ivorian’s signature and got it in a 2 year loan deal with an obligation to buy, which Milan exercised in 2019.

Since his arrival at San Siro, Kessie has gone from strength to strength becoming one of the most powerful central midfielders around Europe. His leadership quality as well as his considerable experience despite his young age (24) make him one of the prime targets for many European clubs. Which bodes a big problem for Milan since Kessie’s contract runs out at the end of the season and the negotiations over extending his contract are not going well.

To have a player that is valued around €55m and is considered to be one of the most valuable Serie A players of 2021 leave AC Milan for free in the summer, especially following the departure of Hakan Calhanoglu who joined rivals Inter Milan for free, will be a huge loss for Milan both financially and on the pitch as well since both players have been their best performers in the past couple of seasons.

8. Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan, Slovakia)

At no.8 we have the first of 4 Inter Milan players as one of the most valuable players in Serie A, Milan Skriniar. The Slovakian center back who is spending his 5th season with

and was heavily speculated to leave the club in the past two summer transfer windows might finally end up leaving the club at the end of the season since his contract only runs until June of 2023. Despite all this transfer talk and talk of extension however, Skriniar has maintained his incredible performances.

One of the

best Serie A players in 2021

, Milan Skriniar was always a talented player, whether he was playing Zilina in the Slovak Super Liga or Sampdoria and Inter Milan in Italy. But Antonio Conte, who is a manager known for his defensive tactics and discipline he instils in his players, really turned Milan Skriniar into one of the best center backs around Europe. To the point that he was the focal point of Inter Milan’s solid defense as they won Serie A after a decade.

While there are talks ongoing between Inter Milan and his agent over a contract extension, Milan Skriniar is once again consistently one of Inter Milan’s best players and has in fact 3 goals in 17 appearances this season, which is as much as he did in the whole of last season. this alongside his great part in Inter’s scudetto in 2021 makes Milan Skriniar one of the most valuable Serie A players of 2021 by being valued somewhere around €60m which means he is a player that Inter Milan definitely wishes to keep.

7. Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan, Italy)

Alessandro Bastoni’s appearance at No.7 of the most valuable players in Serie A may surprise many as the youngster is barely even an Italy international but he is quickly becoming one of the best center backs in Serie A and that is saying a lot. The 22 year old started 33 games last season for Inter Milan as they won the scudetto after a decade and was Conte’s go to man when it came to defending, even above Milan Skriniar.

Originally a product of Atalanta’s youth academy, Bastoni was acquired by Inter in 2017 for a hefty fee of €31m which is a lot for an unproven 18 year old defender. but Inter seemed to have a lot faith in him. They immediately sent him back to Atalanta for a two-season loan deal but after not getting enough playing time they recalled him to send him to Parma where he got a ton of Serie A experience under his belt before eventually returning ti Inter in 2019.

Since his arrival at Inter in 2019, Bastoni has really thrived under Antonio Conte’s guidance and has become a great ball-carrying center back who is also able to be deployed as a left back. Due to his incredible performances for Inter in the last season, he got called up to Itay’s squad for Euro 2020 and even featured a full match for them against Wales, helping Italy eventually win the competition. With a European Championship and a Serie A title in his resume in 2021, it is no wonder that Alessandro Bastoni is one of the

most valuable Serie A players of 2021

by being valued around €60m.

6. Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Slovenia)

Next up we have the most expensive African player of all time, Victor Osimhen, who has perhaps played the biggest role in

’s unbeatable run and their subsequent title challenge. The Nigerian superstar joined Napoli from Lille OSC at the start of last season for a fee of around €70m that could very well rise to €80m and was one of the biggest transfers of last season. however, Osimhen didn’t exactly hit the ground running as it took him a while to get adjusted to Serie A.

While he was originally a youth player at

, Osimhen never properly made it to the first team, instead he found success in Charleroi in Belgian league. after scoring 20 in a single season he was then acquired by Lille, who are known for developing young players, and proceeded to score 18 goals in his solitary season there, attracting the likes of Napoli.

Osimhen’s first season with Napoli ended with him scoring 10 goals and providing 3 assists. But the 22 year old has teken his game to a whole other level since the appointment of Luciano Spalletti as Napoli’s coach, by already scoring 9 goals (almost as much as he did last season). which combined with him being the most expensive African player of all time as well as one of the

best Serie A players right now

and in such a young age, make him a reasonable candidate to be one of the most valuable Serie A players of 2021.

5. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan, Italy)

The third Inter Milan player on our list is none other than their midfield maestro, Nicolo Barella. A player that topped many people’s

Serie A rankings of 2020/21

in terms of delivering world-class performances and influencing Inter’s upwards projectory in the past two seasons. We have previously named him as one of the

as well as one of the standout players in Euro 2020 so it is no wonder that Barella is among the most valuable players in Serie A.

A versatile midfielder who is capable of playing several roles as either a box to box midfielder, attacking midfielder or even a flank player, Nicolo Barella has been both Inter Milan’s main source of creativity as well as being the engine of the team, roles that he also plays for Italy. By scoring 3 and assisting 7 goals for Inter, he was one of their most important players on their way to win the scudetto and at the end of the season Barella was awarded the Serie A Best Midfielder on top of being named in the Team of the Season for the two seasons prior.

After helping Inter Milan win the Serie A title after a decade, Nicolo Barella then became one of Italy’s most prominent players as the Azzuri went all the way to the finals of Euro 2020 and won the competition to many people’s surprise. Barella scored a goal and assisted two others and was deemed as one of Italy’s best players by many critics. All this has added to his market value significantly as Barella is currently valued around €65m which is 15 million more than what he was valued last season, making him one of the most valuable Serie A players of 2021. 

4. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio, Serbia)

The second Serbian on our list is Sergej Milinkovic Savic, who is one of the best Serie A players right now as he has been for a while now. the Serbian midfield maestro is currently Lazio’s most important player alongside Ciro Immobile to the point that without him they would suffer heavily. It is a good thing then that Savic is fiercely loyal to Lazio (he is spending his 7th season at the club) since there are many clubs who are after him.

With 1.91 m height and a good ability in the air as well as his commanding presence while having the ball, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been compared to the likes of Yaya Toure. The Serbian is capable of taking on multiple opponents and possesses great technique as well as impeccable vision and passing ability. He also has an eye for scoring goals as he does so 7 or 8 times a season on average. Basically he is the beating heart of Lazio and controls the play in either direction which is why he is nicknamed the Sergeant.

While Savic has been extremely loyal to

in the past six seasons, there have been a growing amount of interest in him from Europe’s top clubs. Savic winning the Serie A Best Midfielder award in the 2018-19 season as well as him being named Lazio’s best player last season, has taken his market value really high, making him one of the

most valuable players in the world

. By being valued €70m by Transfermarkt, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is now tied to be the 2nd most valuable Serie A players of 2021.

3. Federico Chiesa (Juventus, Italy)

Juventus’ golden boy and the former Italian superstar, Enrico Chiesa’s son is next on our list of most valuable Serie A players of 2021. Federico Chiesa has taken Serie A by storm for a couple of seasons now but he has really come into his own in 2021 with his performances helping Juventus secure a Champions League qualification spot last season and then helping Italy win the European Championship in the summer which has resulted in him becoming the most valuable Italian player right now.

Federico Chiesa joined Fiorentina’s youth academy back in 2007 and went through the ranks until 2018, when he made his debut for the club. a highly versatile player, Federico Chiesa has been deployed everywhere in midfield as well as up front as a second or a target striker but the 24 year old’s main position is to play on the wings where his dribbling and crossing skills is put to best use. He is quite possibly one of the best and most dangerous wingers in Europe right now due to his skills, speed and his hunger to cut in and score goals.

While he is still a Fiorentina player due to him being on a 2-year loan deal at

, the Turin club could pay €40 million plus an additional 10 to make his stay permanent, which seems quite the bargain considering that he is valued around €70m and is one of the most sought after players in Europe. There are also speculations about him wanting to leave Juventus and join Chelsea, even in January for a fee upward of €80m which is closer to his market value. We’re guessing we’ll just have to wait and see how his situation develops.

2. Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus, Netherlands)

Matthijs de Ligt who is the

and happens to be one of the

, is unsurprisingly also high on the list of most valuable players in the world and Serie A. the Dutch center back is one of the best at his position in the world and is already playing at the highest level of European football but his initial price tag and salary as well as Juventus’ downward trajectory since de Ligt’s arrival has put a lot of pressure on him to perform.

Matthijs de Ligt is a player that we have sung his praises a lot before, naming him one of the best young defenders of 2020 as well as the Serie A. the Dutchman’s incredible physical attributes, like height and speed, as well as his mind for reading the game and his ability to progress the ball alongside him being a threat in the air on set-pieces all make him one of the best defenders in the world. There isn’t any young defender right now that has the potential to become the best in the world more than Matthijs de Ligt. But having the potential and realizing that potential is two different things.

While there have been some embarrassing lows for de Ligt in his time at Juventus, the good far outweigh the bad and his stay at Turin has been mostly positive. The 2018 Golden Boy winner has helped Juventus win the serie A title in his first season and then a Coppa Italia in his second season which, alongside his potential, has raised his market value to €70m. this makes de Ligt not only one of the

most valuable Serie A players of 2021

but also one of the most valuable players in the world. But will all of this actually help Juventus come out of the rut they’re in? we’ll have to wait and see!

1. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)

One of the best Serie A players in 2021 and the last player to appear on our list is Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine striker has gone from strength to strength ever since joining Inter Milan in 2018 but it all culminated in 2021 which has been the most incredible season for Lautaro Martinez both on the club side and international front. While there were heavy speculation of Lautaro leaving Inter Milan in the summer following the exodus that saw Lukaku and Hakimi leave as well, the 24 year old striker decided to stay and extend his contract with Inter Milan.

Arriving at Inter Milan from Racing Club in 2018 for a reported fee of €22.7 million, Lautaro Martinez was hailed to be the next big Argentinian star since he dominated Argentine Primera Division in the 2 full seasons he played for Racing. Capable of playing on the wings, as a second striker, a lone striker or even an attacking midfielder, Lautaro Martinez is a player that could wreak havoc on defenders wherever he is deployed.

His dribbling skills as well as his speed make him almost impossible to defend but his positional awareness allows him to also act the way lethal finishers do and be at the right place at the right time. Although this is not always the case. Lautaro Martinez’ partnership with Romelu Lukaku in the past two seasons really worked wonders for Inter Milan as the two complimented each other perfectly.

This all led to Inter Milan finally winning the Serie A after a decade and if that wasn’t enough, Lautaro Martinez went and helped Argentina win the Copa America for the first time in Lionel Messi’s career. While Messi scored 4 and was the tournament’s best player, Lautaro also scored 3 and was possibly the second best. This makes his market value of €80m quite plausible. While he decided to stay at Inter Milan by extending his contract, it will be interesting to see if the Nerazzurri decide to sell him in the future, the way they did with Lukaku!

READ MORE:

Follow

for the