Most Valuable Bundesliga 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 Serie A and found out that the situation is the same in Spain and Italy too.

Now it’s time for us to look at the German Bundesliga who is no doubt one of the top European Leagues. In terms of finances, the situation at Bundesliga is a bit different though since Bayern Munich reigns supreme both on the pitch and off it. the Bavarian giants have the highest paid players, most expensive players and a young squad that has some of the most valuable players in the world. Although since Bundesliga is a league that has some serious young talent in teams other than Bayern Munich, there are some players among the

most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021

that are from teams like Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen. With that’s said, let’s take a closer look at these players.

Most valuable players in Bundesliga

In ranking the most valuable players in Bundesliga, 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. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)

Let’s start our list of most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021 with 2021’s runner-up to the Ballon d’Or award, Robert Lewandowski. Some might be surprised by his position on this list but considering that he is now 33 years old, it is plausible that he is so low on this list. The Polish superstar has been tearing up in Bundesliga ever since he arrived at Dortmund in 2010 and seems like he has no intention of stopping now.

After scoring an incredible amount of 55 goals in 48 games and leading Bayern Munich to a historic sextuple of trophies in 2020, Robert Lewandowski didn’t show one bit of letting up last season as he scored a record breaking 41 goals in 29 games in Bundesliga, finally leaving Gerd Muller’s impressive record behind him. This was on the heels of France Football’s strange decision to not announce any winners for their annual Ballon d’Or in 2020, an award that Robert Lewandowski clearly should’ve won.

But maybe that was reason enough for the Polish goal machine to keep on scoring in the hopes of winning the 2021 Ballon d’Or award. Despite him coming close to Lionel Messi, Lewa failed to do so but he managed to do what he does best, scoring 48 in 40 games in the 2020-21 season and scoring 25 in 20 games so far this season. which means that despite his age, Lewandowski is very much at his prime and should be valued higher than someone who is 33.

While there were speculation of Robert Lewandowski leaving Bayern in the summer, Bayern Munich managed to keep hold of their €60m star who is only the first of 7

players on our list of most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021.

9. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Up next we have the former Schalke 04 and Manchester City winger, Leroy Sane, who is now plying his trade at Bayern Munich. Sane made his debut for Schalke 04 back in 2014 and while there were a lot of interest from Bayern Munich in him when Sane had his breakthrough in Bundesliga, he decided to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2016 for a fee of around £37 million. 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and a FA Cup later and Sane was once again on Bayern Munich’s radar once again.

A long-term injury ruled out Sane for almost the entire of 2019-20 season but he decided to not extend his contract with

and instead join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020 for a fee of €45 million with add-ons rising to €60 million. With a lot of competition from the likes of Serge Gnabry, Kingsley-Coeman and other Bayern superstars as well as Sane himself struggling to find his form after his long term injury, he has perhaps had not the best start to his Bayern Munich career.

With Leroy Sane earning slightly less than players like Lewandowski, Muller and Neuer and him being one of the highest paid players in Bundesliga, Bayern fans expect a lot from him than the 10 goals he scored last season. fortunately for him though, he seems to be back on track this season as he has scored 9 already and has been one of the best Bundesliga players right now which justifies his €60m price tag that makes him one of the

most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021

.

8. Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)

At No. 8 of the most valuable players in Bundesliga we have our 3rd Bayern Munich player, Dayot Upamecano. The Frenchman joined Bayern Munich this summer after there being much speculation about his future and him being linked with every club under the sun. as if Bayern Munich convincing RB Leipzig’s manager (Julian Nagelsmann) to come over to their side wasn’t enough, they went out and bought

’s captain (Marcel Sabitzer) and Dayot Upamecano too. Which completely neutralizes any threat RB Leipzig might pose them in the league.

In Upamecano’s case though the situation wasn’t so clear cut since as we told earlier, there were a lot of clubs after the French defender, especially the Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal. But Bayern like always was shrewd in the transfer market and were able to bring Upamecano to Allianz for a fee of €42.5 million which happened to be his release clause at Leipzig.

With David Alaba and Jerome Boateng both leaving Bayern Munich and the other center backs not being up for the task, Bayern Munich really needed some fresh blood in defense and who better to bring than one of the

best Bundesliga players 2021

who happens to be only 23 years old.

While Upamecano really impressed in the 2019-20 Champions League season with Leipzig and was included in the team of the tournament, he now seems to be finally realizing his potential as he is trusted with a lot more both at Bayern Munich and French national team. This all results in him being valued around €60m and becoming one of the most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021.

7. Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

The youngest player to appear on our most valuable players in Bundesliga list is Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz who had a breakthrough season last year and is already is amongst the

while barely being 18. An attacking midfielder by trade, Florian Wirtz has climbed the development ladders quickly in the past two years to the point that he has already made his senior debut for Germany. Racking up 4 caps for Germany while he continues to turn out outstanding performances for Bayer Leverkusen.

After Kai Havertz and Leon Bailey left Bayer Leverkusen in favor of joining Premier League sides,

was in need of a creative player to fill the void those two players left and they opted to trust one of their own and integrated Florian Wirtz into the first team.

While the German teenager shares some similar attributes to Kai Havertz, Wirtz is a lot more dynamic and likes to cover the pitch a lot more. Wirtz’s through passes and his incredible vision can be honed to be a deadly weapon in an attacking side like Bayer Leverkusen as the youngster has shown glimpses of his playmaking abilities. He has also a knack for scoring goals which has been prominent this season.

Last season, Wirtz played a huge part in Bayer Leverkusen’s first team by appearing in 38 matches, contributing with 8 goals and 7 assists in all competitions which is just mind boggling for a 17 year old at that level. He also scored became the youngest ever goal scorer in Bundesliga’s history by scoring against Bayern Munich. This season so far he has already matched his goalscoring record from last season by scoring 8 goals and assisting 9, making him one of the

best Bundesliga players of 2021

and completely deserving of the €65m that he is valued by Transfermarkt.

6. Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich, Canada)

Next up we have Alphonso Davies who has taken the Bundesliga and even Europe by storm since his arrival from Whitecaps in 2018. The Canadian left back/winger has gone from strength to strength following that incredible sextuplet winning year in 2020. He has now firmly cemented his place as one of the best full backs in the world and one of the

, despite the several injuries he has picked up in the past year.

After a couple of great seasons at Vancouver Whitecaps which even earned him an MLS All-Star appearance, Alphonso Davies decided to join Bayern Munich in the January of 2019 with a transfer fee of 13.5 million dollars. Although he was primarily a winger at

, Davies would later be used as a full back or a wing back at Bayern because of his explosive pace, dribbling and crossing ability. Although Davies does lack a lot of defensive capabilities that a full back should possess.

Since his arrival at Bayern Munich, Davies has won 3 Bundesliga titles, 2 DFB-Pokals, a Champions League title, a Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup as well as performing incredibly well for Canada’s national team by scoring 10 goals in 28 matches. he is undoubtedly one of the best fullbacks in the world and an important part of Bayern’s team going forward as well as all the trophies we mentioned which all contribute to his €70m valuation which makes him one of the

most valuable players in the world

and an important asset for Bayern Munich. 

5. Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Perhaps Bayern Munich’s most underrated player who despite being one of their best performers avoids being on the headlines a lot is Serge Gnabry. A player that was among the top performers for many critic’s

Bundesliga rankings of 2020/21

is unsurprisingly one of the most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021. The 26 year old winger has started this season quite strongly for both club and country and if his usual injuries don’t haunt him throughout the season he may have the best season of his career yet.

Originally an

youth academy player, Gnabry went on to make his senior debut for the Gunners in 2012 but failed to establish a foothold there and instead moved to Germany and Werder Bremen. He performed exceptionally well for Bremen and was then acquired by Bayern in 2017 and immediately loaned out to Hoffenheim where he further proved his skills to finally get his chance of playing for FC Hollywood. An exceptional winger who has the pace, dribbling skills and composure of the best of them, Gnabry has also an eye for goal which combined with his outstanding positional skills that puts him at the end of created chances, makes him a threat up front.

Since his arrival at Bayern Munich 2018, Serge Gnabry has managed to score 55 goals in 146 matches for Bayern Munich. These include 12 goals and 10 assists in that sextuplet winning season in 2020. This season too has started perfectly for Gnabry since he has already scored 15 and assisted 2 for club and country, making him one of the most valuable German players and the most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021 by being valued somewhere around €70m.

4. Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Yet another Bayern Munich player among the

most valuable players in Bundesliga

is Leon Goretzka. The former

midfielder is now one of the top midfielders in Bundesliga as well as in the world. Bayern Munich is very well aware of this fact which is why they tried so hard to keep him at Allianz this summer after a myriad of rumors were linking the 26 year old to Manchester United this summer while his contract was running out.

After much negotiations with his agent, Bayern Munich managed to tie Goretzka down to another long-term contract until the summer of 2026 by agreeing to pay him a salary of €280k a week which rounds up to somewhere close to €15m in yearly wages. While various injuries have kept Leon Goretzka out for Bayern for spells during his time at the club, his partnership with Joshua Kimmich and Thiago prior to him has built a solid midfield line for Bayern Munich.

Goretzka who is exceptionally tall (1.89m) for a midfielder is a player that reminds football fans of the likes of Michael Ballack and

, although he hasn’t yet achieved the heights that those two achieved. But he possesses great technique, passing ability, a keen tactical mind and an eye for goal which makes Leon Goretzka one of the best box to box midfielders around Europe.

Since the start of the summer, Leon Goretzka has been constantly involved in all competitions for both Germany and Bayern Munich and has end up scoring 5 and assisting 10 for club and country. He was on top of many Bundesliga rankings of 2020/21 for midfielders and is rightfully one of the most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021 by being valued €70m.

3. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, England)

Next on our list of most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021 is

and England’s Jude Bellingham. The 18 year old has dazzled everyone with his calm and collective performances in midfield for both England and Borussia Dortmund in the past year and was able to win a German cup as well as be included and make his debut for England in Euro 2020. All of which showcase Bellingham’s incredible talent and maturity of playing football at the highest level.

Bellingham who comes from a footballing family was already making an appearance for Birmingham’s U23 when he was 15. At the start of the 2019-20 season Bellingham found his way to the first team and scored to become Birmingham’s youngest ever goal scorer. While initially a winger, Bellingham slowly transitioned to being a midfielder.

his dribbling skills along with his incredible stamina and defensive prowess are the ingredients of a really good central midfielder who can play as either a box to box midfielder or maybe can act as a deep lying playmaker further down his career. He has also shown a knack for joining the attack and scoring an odd goal here or there making him one of the

best Bundesliga players right now

.

At the start of the 2020-21 season, Jude Bellingham, who was encouraged by the development of fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho as well as players like Giovanni Reyna, joined Borussia Dortmund in a £25 million transfer and has become a regular starter for Die Schwarzengelben. Bellingham has already broken the record for being Dortmund’s youngest ever goal scorer as well as being the youngest ever Englishman to start a Champions League match. Having won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award in September as well as VDV’s Newcomer of the Season, his 7 goals and almost as many assists in the 60+ matches for Dortmund shows why he is the most valuable 18 year old in the world by being valued €70m.

2. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, Germany)

The last Bayern Munich player to appear on our list of most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021 is none other than Joshua Kimmich. Widely considered to be one of the best players in the world right now, Joshua Kimmich is at the heart of everything that happens at Bayern Munich. While a lot like Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich too was speculated to leave Bayern Munich this summer, the Bavarian Giants have tied him down to a long term contract until 2025 in a similar deal like Goretzka.

A highly versatile player that started as a full-back and was brought in to fill in the big shoes that Philip Lahm left behind, Kimmich is capable of playing several different roles in defense and midfield, like his idol Philip Lahm. In fact, Kimmich excels at playing the full back/wing back role as well as the role of a deep lying playmaker in midfield as he is considered to be one of the best in the world at both.

While initially with the likes of Thiago being present at Bayern Munich, Kimmich mostly played the role of a right back, with the Spanish midfielder leaving Allianz, Kimmich has now been fully integrated into midfield alongside Leon Goretzka. His impeccable passing, incredible vision and outstanding set piece delivery has made him the main source of creativity in a Bayern Munich squad full of creative players.

Joshua Kimmich has won the Bundesliga in all his 6 seasons he has been at the club as well as 3 DFB-Pokals, a Champions League title and a Club World Cup. he has also been named in Bundesliga Team of the Season in the past 4 seasons. While last season ended with him scoring 6 and assisting 15 times, Kimmich has already 3 goals and 3 assists this season and continues to be Bayern’s most important player after Lewandowski and Muller. With how good of a player he is, it is only right that he is valued €90m and is one of the most valuable players in the world.

1. Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)

The person who tops the

most valuable Bundesliga players of 2021

is unsurprisingly Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. The Norwegian Machine is so talented that it is ridiculous how easy everything comes to him. He has the right attitude, the unbelievable talent, pace, vision, hard work and consistency that even Leo Messi and Cristiano didn’t show when they were his age and the great thing is that he has been doing it for years now, which makes him the No.1 target for any club in the world who could afford to buy him.

Ever since his debut for Salzburg in 2019 it was apparent that Haaland was destined for great things as he scored 28 in 22 matches in the first 6 months of the 2019-20 season before transferring to Dortmund in the January of 2020. As a striker the numbers that Erling Haaland has put up since joining Dortmund has been unbelievable. As of writing this article the 22 year old has scored 71 goals and 19 assists in 70 matches for Dortmund which includes 14 goals and 4 assists in this season alone despite him playing only 11 games so far.

Even when he first joined Borussia Dortmund, despite the club being one of the biggest in Europe, everyone expected Haaland to eventually transfer to one of European Giants and with that in mind his agent has made sure that there is a clause in his contract that allows him to leave Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for a fee of around €80m despite him being valued almost double that amount right now.

With a €150m market value, Erling Haaland is the 2nd most valuable player in the world after Kylian Mbappe (€160m). both players will undoubtedly be involved in the biggest transfer sagas in the history of football in the upcoming summer and whoever gets to acquire either one of these players (Mbappe for free and Haaland for €80m) have got themselves a bargain and will watch them do wonders at whichever club they end up at.

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