Championship market values: Josh Sargent back to career high - Zack Steffen drops

As part of the Championship market value update, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of six of the 11 US men’s national team eligible players that play in the league (overview). Furthermore, the update also saw Canadian men’s national team player Theo Corbeanu receive a new value. Among the US boys, Josh Sargent received a significant upgrade, and Zack Steffen slightly dropped. 

Before we get to the US boys, however, a word on Corbeanu. On loan from Wolverhampton to Blackpool, the 20-year-old had a good start to the season, scoring three goals in his first eight games. Playing a part-time role at times, Corbeanu has actually managed a goal every 100 minutes, and his new market value catapults him into the top 5 of most valuable U20 Canadian players. 

Daniel Jebbison is another player who has caught the center of the Canadian soccer media. The 19-year-old has a Canadian passport and could be part of the World Cup squad in Qatar. But for now, the market value of the Sheffield United talent remains at €1 million—that could change ahead of the World Cup once his eligibility status has been confirmed.  

Josh Sargent back to personal best – Zack Steffen drops 

When it comes to USMNT players, Sargent stands out the most. The striker has scored five goals and one assist in nine competitive games for Norwich City this season. As a result, his market value has been upgraded from €7 million to €9 million, which equals his career high at Werder Bremen. 

“After a difficult first year in England, Sargent is shining in a new role this season,” TM Area Manager UK Daniel Busch said. “The US striker, who is now mostly deployed as a lone center-forward and less on the flanks, is one of Norwich’s key performers. Should he confirm his form, a further upgrade as part of the complete update ahead of the World Cup in Qatar will be the next step for the 22-year-old.”

While Sargent is making a case to become a key player for the US at the World Cup, Steffen continues to struggle in England. The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Middlesbrough, where he was supposed to collect much-needed playing time. But injuries have once again hindered his progress and his market value takes a dip (-€1.5m to €4.5m). “Unfortunately, another injury again put the goalkeeper off track,” Busch said. “Although the talent is definitely there, he needs to start playing regularly for a longer period of time to maintain his market value.”

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).