Eliteserien market values: In-demand Vetlesen goes clear at the top - Three U18 talents in focus

After the update in the Norwegian Eliteserien, only one player remains at the top of the national market value rankings. Hugo Vetlesen of league leaders FK Bodø/Glimt surpasses Molde’s Sivert Mannsverk (+€500,000 to €5m) with the third-largest upgrade of the update, a plus of €2.5m, and now is the sole leader with a new market value of €7m. With an increase of €11.6m to €39.95m, Bodø/Glimt also are the biggest winners in terms of squad value, leaving Molde (€27.85m) well behind.

“After Bodø/Glimt rejected a reasonably high offer from Feyenoord on deadline day in January and the player showed loyalty by surprisingly extending his contract, which previously expired at the end of 2023, despite his disappointment, Vetlesen had a difficult start to the season but has been improving in recent weeks,” market value admin Bastian Schmitz said. “Now his overdue move to Europe is finally on the table, with Club Brugge reportedly having agreed a transfer fee in the region of his new market value.”

Even bigger upgrades than Vetlesen’s are recorded by his teammates Albert Grönbaek and Joel Mvuka, for whom it goes up by €2.7m and €3.2m, respectively. “For me, he has made the biggest step forward in the Eliteserien,” Schmitz said on Danish U21 international Grönbaek, who is now valued at €5m. “The attacking midfielder in Bodø/Glimt’s 4-3-3 system hardly drops in performance this season compared to his more established colleague Vetlesen and has been instrumental in the northern Norwegians’ dominant campaign.”

Mvuka’s new valuation was based on his transfer fee after the right winger was sold for €5.5m to FC Lorient in January. “However, we have remained slightly below with €4.5m, because the Norwegian plays a good, but not outstanding season and the transfer was made on deadline day, when the money is a little looser at some clubs,” Schmitz said. The market value curve also points upwards for Patrick Berg, the team’s captain, but only moderately by €500,000 to €4.5m.

Among the big winners, meanwhile, is Akor Adams of Lillestrøm SK. The tall centre-forward, whose advantages include tremendous physicality and a strong heading ability, has recorded ten goals in ten games this season, putting him in second place in the scoring charts. As a result, Adams’ market value goes up from €1.5m to €4m.

Eliteserien market values: Three U18 talents in focus

As the Eliteserien has become a good competition for developing young talents, see Erling Haaland or David Datro Fofana, the update also focuses on the league’s three best U18 players: 18-year-old winger Christopher Bonsu Baah, 16-year-old Sverre Nypan and 18-year-old Daniel Bassi.

Bonsu Baah has made just 13 competitive appearances on the European continent after arriving from Ghana and is already being followed by scouts of much bigger clubs. “His dribbling ability is impressive and he has become an immediate starter at Sarpsborg at the age of 18,” Schmitz said. “We still have to wait and see, for example, direct goal contributions are still lacking, but with Bonsu Baah’s assets, a path like Fofana’s is not unlikely at all. He also appears on the 2023 Golden Boy award list.” This is rewarded by an upgrade of €1.1m to €1.2m.

Rosenborg BK’s Nypan is regarded as the biggest Norwegian talent born in 2006 and already has a started a number of games, although he struggled with minor injuries at start the season. However, clubs such as Benfica are said to have already enquired about the midfield talent, whose market value has gone up from €500,000 to €900,000.

Bassi was completely unknown until earlier this year, establishing himself this season as a left-back in surprise runners-ups Tromsø IL’s 3-5-2 system. “He is fast, can dribble and in addition already has a decent physique for his age,” Schmitz said. “His contract expires at the end of the year and bigger clubs are said to be lining up. Bitter for the financially weak club, known as the northernmost professional club in the world, who will thus in all likelihood miss out on a high transfer fee.” The young Norwegian is now valued at €800,000 instead of €75,000.

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).