As the festive period draws to a close, clubs around the world will be preparing for the upcoming January transfer window.
But they may want to tread carefully with their business after new research reveals that Arsenal’s top transfer positions, including one of their star players, will collapse from 2024.
Premier League clubs spent £1.75bn in the summer and leagues such as the Saudi Professional League also made money, but not all of these deals paid off.
According to Transfermarkt, the biggest drop in transfer fees occurred between January 1 and Boxing Day, when PSG star Randal Kolo Muani suffered.
The Frenchman joined the team from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £76.4m deal in last summer’s transfer window, but his value has now fallen by £33m (€40m).
After representing France at the 2022 World Cup, Kolo Muani has become a very popular name in French football. However, his performances since joining PSG leave much to be desired.
Neymar (left) and Leroy Sane (right) are among the stars whose value has fallen significantly.
PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani has suffered the biggest transfer drop of the year
One of Arsenal’s star players has also slipped into the top five with the biggest drop in transfer fees.
The forward has scored just 11 goals in 53 appearances for the club, and just two goals in his opening 10 Ligue 1 games this season.
Immediately after Kolo Muani are Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sane, both of whom have reduced their transfer fees by £29m (approximately €35m).
Nigerian forward Osimhen was rumored to be moving from Napoli to Chelsea during this summer’s transfer window.
However, a move to England did not materialize and he opted to join Galatasaray on loan at the last minute after being expelled from the Napoli squad.
Meanwhile, German international Sane has seen a decline in his playing time for Bayern Munich since Michael Oliseh joined from Crystal Palace in the summer.
Since then, Sane has started just five games in Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga side and has scored just three goals in 11 league appearances in total.
Following Sane and Osimhen are Gabriel Martinelli, Kingsley Coman and Neymar, all of whom are said to have had their transfer fees reduced by £25m (€30m).
Arsenal forward Martinelli has come under criticism in recent weeks amid struggling performances for the title-chasing side.
Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli’s price has fallen amid recent poor performances
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman suffered a similar fate to teammate Sane.
The Brazilian has scored four goals in 15 appearances in the Premier League this year, raising questions about whether Arsenal need to invest in a new winger.
Additionally, Coman has suffered a similar fate to teammate Sane, who struggled to secure a starting spot in Bayern Munich’s line-up after the summer break.
On the other hand, Neymar has also been plagued by injuries since moving to Saudi Arabia, and his transfer fee has decreased significantly.
The Brazilian joined Saudi side Al Hilal in 2023, but only made seven appearances for the team as he was sidelined due to injury.
He returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October, but was injured again during Al Hilal’s Asian Champions League match.
Just outside the top 10 on Transfermarkt’s list are the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Jack Grealish, Gabriel Jesus, Evan Ferguson and Kevin De Bruyne.
French forward Nkunku permanently joined Chelsea on January 1 in a deal worth £53 million, but has struggled to find a place in the starting XI since then.
The 27-year-old has started just two Premier League games for the Blues, and will not only feature in European games.
Grealish, meanwhile, has had a tough year in a Man City shirt, failing to find the back of the champions’ goal throughout 2024.
Victor Osimhen (left) and Frenkie de Jong (right) are also included in the list.
Man City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne’s transfer fee has also been significantly reduced.
Brighton striker Evan Ferguson was linked with a big-money move at the end of last season, but the Irish forward has also found himself on the fringes this year.
Like Nkunku, Ferguson started just two Premier League games in 2024/25 and scored just one goal for the Seagulls.
Finally, Belgian Kevin De Bruyne’s value has dropped significantly with his season derailed by injury. The midfielder was sidelined in October and has struggled to regain his best form.
Another surprising name on the list is Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, whose transfer fee has fallen by £16.6 million (€20 million) over the past year.
Maximum transfer value decline
1. Randal Kolo Muani (PSG) – £33m decrease
2. Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray) – £29m decrease
3. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich) – £29m decrease
4. Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) – £24m reduction
5. Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) – £24m decrease in revenue
6. Neymar (Al Hilal) – £24m decrease
7. Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan) – £24m decrease in revenue
8. Federico Chiesa (Liverpool) – £23.2m decrease
9. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – £23.2m decrease
10. Christopher Nkunku, Evan Ferguson, Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne – £20m reduction
