A buyers guide\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Hayden](\"https:\/\/tmssl.akamaized.net\/\/images\/foto\/galerie\/second-division-stars-1778187967-196437.png\" "\\"Hayden")
<\/p>\n\n \u00a9TM\/IMAGO<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Whether it is the Championship, 2. Bundesliga, LaLiga2, Ligue 2, or Serie B; increasingly, the second divisions of Europe\u2019s top five countries have produced top talents. Want a few examples? RB Leipzig signed Yan Diomande from LaLiga2 side CD Legan\u00e9s last season for \u20ac20m. A good investment, the Ivorian winger has a market value of \u20ac75m. No other player has seen a bigger market value increase since the start of the season than the 19-year-old Leipzig forward (overview).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another top prospect who was signed from LaLiga2 is Christian Kofane. Leverkusen signed the striker for just \u20ac5.25m. His market value now? \u20ac40m! Leverkusen actually struck gold twice as they also signed Ibrahim Maza from 2. Bundesliga side Hertha for just \u20ac12m. The Algerian has since increased his market value by 233.3% to \u20ac40m. In the Premier League, Bournemouth\u2019s Junior Kroupi is one of the top young strikers. The French forward joined Bournemouth for just \u20ac13m from Lorient and has since increased his market value to \u20ac40m.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In other words, it is worth paying attention to the second divisions of Europe\u2019s top leagues. Perhaps the hardest place to find bargains is the EFL Championship. England\u2019s second division is awash with Premier League money, and, as a result, the market values of players playing there are often much higher than they would be in the lower divisions on the continent. There are 62 players playing in Europe\u2019s top second division with a market value of \u20ac10m or more, and 50 of those players play in the Championship.<\/p>\n The most valuable players: Championship \/ 2. Bundesliga \/ LaLiga2 \/ Ligue 2 \/ Serie B<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The 11 players, with a market value of \u20ac10m or more who don\u2019t play in England are Yeremay Hern\u00e1ndez (\u20ac25m; Deportivo La Coru\u00f1a), Patrick Zabi (\u20ac20m; Stade Reims), Kennet Eichhorn (\u20ac20m; Hertha Berlin), Sergio Arribas (\u20ac15m; UD Almer\u00eda), Lucas Stassin (\u20ac15m; AS Saint-\u00c9tienne), Abdoul Kon\u00e9 (\u20ac15m; Stade Reims), Mika M\u00e1rmol (\u20ac10m; UD Las Palmas), Zuriko Davitashvili (\u20ac10m; Saint-\u00c9tienne), Mathys Detoubert (\u20ac10m; ESTAC Troyes), Francis Onyeka (\u20ac10m; VfL Bochum), and Dennis Seimen (\u20ac10m; Paderborn).<\/p>\n The graphic above shows the 20 most valuable players playing in the second divisions of Europe\u2019s top five countries. Speaking to Area Managers and contributors from our extensive network, we have highlighted a player from each of those leagues who could be on the move this summer. We have excluded players such as Zabi (Paris FC) and Kon\u00e9 (RB Leipzig), who have already agreed to transfers to other clubs. The only player we featured who isn\u2019t on the above list is Issa Doumbia from Serie B side Venezia. We will start our journey there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stefano Buonfino (Transfermarkt Content Manager Italy): \u201cHe has already had a taste of Serie A in the 24\/25 season and made a good impression despite the relegation. This year, he\u2019s been simply sensational. He\u2019s physically strong, he’s good at taking the ball and gaining meters on the field, he is solid in defense, and he has also learned to be a threat going forward with good runs and intelligent decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How likely is he to move on? \u201cThe likelihood of him moving this summer is very high; Venezia are unlikely to be able to keep him. I just regret that he\u2019ll most likely move out of Italy; there\u2019s a lot of talk about Portugal, and I reckon he\u2019ll end up at one of the top three clubs there. If things go as they should, in a couple of years, Italian clubs won\u2019t be able to afford him anymore. In my opinion, he\u2019s the prototype of the modern midfielder; he\u2019s got huge potential, and in Portugal, they do a brilliant job with young players. So, if everything goes as it should, in two or three years\u2019 time the Premier League \u2013 a league perfectly suited to his characteristics \u2013 will come knocking for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ronan Caroff (Transfermarkt Area Manager France): \u201cNo matter whether St. Etienne are promoted or not, Stassin will be a major talking point this summer. Already last summer, after ASSE were relegated, many clubs made offers for the Belgian striker. Paris FC, for example, offered \u20ac26m plus \u20ac3m in bonuses. But Stassin stayed put.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a few weeks of frustration, Stassin got back to work. Despite playing a strong season, it was relatively quiet around him last winter. That could change. The forward did play for Belgium against Mexico last month. In all logic, St Etienne won’t resist too much this summer if serious offers come for Stassin, and I think the same type of teams from the past two windows would be the most interested. Ambitious newcomers like Paris FC, or regular participants in European competitions like Stade Rennais or Real Betis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About the player himself, his former St. Etienne coach, Olivier Dall’Oglio, said: “He knows that these days, if he wants to be a top-class striker, he has to run. His greatest strength is his movement. He reads the game well and is very precise in the basics: control and passing. But ultimately, he\u2019s a striker. He\u2019s only satisfied when he scores. It\u2019s an obsession.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lennart Gens (Content Creator Transfermarkt.de): \u201cWithout a doubt, Eichhorn, together with Lennart Karl, is the biggest talent in German football. At Hertha, Eichhorn has trained with the first team since he turned 15, but had to wait until he was 16 to make his debut for the first team. Ever since, he has been a regular starter, and only an ankle injury in January stopped his progress.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What sort of player is Eichhorn? \u201cEven now, Eichhorn already has all the qualities you need to play as a holding-six. He is very calm on the ball, and despite his young age, can control a game. His technique is good, and his physicality, despite his youth, is already impressive. While already quite strong in those areas, he can obviously still improve. With a market value of \u20ac20m, Eichhorn, together with Max Dowman, is the most valuable 16-year-old in the world. The big German clubs are all interested. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and VfB Stuttgart have all made their pitch. Thanks to an exit clause, Eichhorn is available for \u20ac10-12m.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivan Fuentes (Transfermarkt Content Manager Spain): \u201cHern\u00e1ndez is a talented left winger; he is fast and can score goals. He isn\u2019t the tallest but has strong legs and can be compared a bit with Bayern Munich\u2019s Luis D\u00edaz or Juventus\u2019 Kenan Y\u0131ld\u0131z. Those attributes have made him the most valuable player in LaLiga2 history. He is also the most valuable player in Deportivo La Coru\u00f1a\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Will he stay at Deportivo La Coru\u00f1a beyond this season? \u201cHe signed a new contract last season that will run until 2030 and has club options for three additional years. Despite that, he will probably leave if the club aren\u2019t promoted. He has already been linked to Chelsea, who want him to join Strasbourg, Portuguese giants Sporting offered \u20ac30m, and Como have also shown interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Littlemore (Transfemarkt UK Content Manager UK): \u201cMiddlesbrough did very well to hold on to Hayden Hackney last summer – he was close to a big money move to Ipswich, with Premier League clubs also interested. But he stayed, and he has been a revelation this season. His inclusion in the Championship Team of the Season and his awarding of the Championship Player of the Season was no surprise, nor was the fact that Middlesbrough’s form plummeted when he got injured.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe is a midfielder who offers everything: he is a fantastic passer of the ball, can glide past players, and is a goal threat too. He’s also got a great engine and is solid on the defensive side of the game. Hackney has also been a consistent selection throughout England’s youth ranks.\u201d So, what comes next? \u201cIf Middlesbrough don’t go up, I can’t see anyway they can hold on to him any longer. Brighton, Everton, Manchester United and Ipswich have all shown interest, and I would expect him to move for \u20ac30m or north of that. His market value is currently \u20ac28m, but that could rise further in May’s update. Without doubt, a future Premier League midfielder.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n![\"Most](\"https:\/\/tmssl.akamaized.net\/\/images\/foto\/newsansicht\/most-valuable-second-division-players-in-top-five-countries-1778186458-196435.png?lm=1778186470\" "\\"Most")
<\/p>\nFive second division players to watch this summer:<\/h2>\n