Manchester United haven't been having the best of seasons this year, with their Champions League campaign ending in misery and qualification for next year's edition looking a little tricky at present.
However, there have been some bright spots, such as the win against Liverpool in the FA Cup and the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo.
The incredibly talented youngster has looked unreal for the Red Devils this season, and his valuation has soared because of it.
In fact, the academy gem is already worth as much money as a player the club sold in 2019, a sale which has since looked like a stroke of genius.
Kobbie Mainoo's valuation this season
Mainoo made his debut for United last season, but with a total of just 87 minutes across three appearances, he didn't catch the attention of the wider footballing public.
GK – Tom Heaton
RB – Diogo Dalot
CB – Harry Maguire
CB – Lisandro Martínez
LB – Tyrell Malacia
CM – Fred
CM – Scott McTominay
RM – Antony
CAM – Kobbie Mainoo
LM – Alejandro Garnacho
ST – Anthony Elanga
It's been an entirely different story for the young Englishman this year. He has played 1417 minutes of first-team action across 20 games, and he hasn't just been making up the numbers; he's been thriving.
Ten Hag has primarily used the 18-year-old as a central and defensive midfielder, meaning his return of two goals is to be expected. However, what certainly wasn't expected, at least from those who were unfamiliar with him, is just how composed he is.
For example, the clash against Liverpool on Sunday was arguably the Red Devils' biggest game of the season and yet the Stockport-born gem looked utterly unfazed by it all, calmly going about his business as if it was his 230th game for the club and not his 23rd.
Erik ten Hag highlighted this incredibly impressive side of his game earlier in the season when he said, "He is very talented. He has to work hard, but he looks very composed. He is very mature for his age. What he brings to the team is his composure and his game understanding."
The right-footed gem looks destined for great things in the game, and his recent England call-up and soaring valuation reflect that.
The CIES Football Observatory values the youngster at around €30m or £26m, which is remarkable considering his age and happens to be the same valuation given to a former Red Devil sold at just the right time in 2019.
Romelu Lukaku's valuation this season
The player in question is Belgian international Romelu Lukaku, who, after signing for Inter Milan from United in August 2019 for a fee of around £73m, has endured an interesting career, to put it diplomatically.
The Antwerpen-born poacher's return of 42 goals and 13 assists in 96 games for the Red Devils was reasonable enough, but his output of 64 goals and 16 assists in just 95 games for the Nerazzurri across the 2019/2020 and 2020/21 seasons was simply outrageous.
In fact, his form was so electric in those two years that his former club, Chelsea, opted to smash their transfer record – at the time – and spend a whopping £97.5m to bring him to Stamford Bridge in August 2021.
Despite starting the season reasonably well for the Blues and scoring three goals in his first three league games, the wheels quickly began to fall off. In December, he agreed to an ill-advised interview with Sky Italia, in which he complained about life at Stamford Bridge, criticised Thomas Tuchel and spoke about his desire to return to the San Siro, and it was all over.
With a rather underwhelming return of just 15 goals and two assists in 44 appearances in west London and his bridges very much burned, he rejoined Inter on loan for the following season.
His second stint with the blue and black half of Milan wasn't quite as prolific as the first, but 14 goals and seven assists in 37 games was still reasonably impressive given everything he had gone through the season prior.
However, upon the season's conclusion, it was revealed that he had been talking to Juventus about a potential move the following year, which, given the enormous rivalry between the two clubs, was a massive problem. The Inter fans then aggressively turned their backs on the 30-year-old, and he was left scrambling to find a new side to join after the Old Lady also cooled their interest following fan pressure.
Luckily for him, Jose Mourinho's AS Roma decided to take the chance on him, and so far, it has worked out for all parties involved. In his 37 appearances, he's scored 18 goals and provided four assists.
However, he's scored just ten goals in the league and faced criticism from ex-Juve star Angelo di Livio for being "lazy." So, he still looks a ways off the striker who was tearing it up for Inter a few years ago.
In all, this rapid fall from grace has seen the 113-cap international's value fall just as quickly, with CIES Football Observatory now pricing the former United ace at just €30m, or £26m, which is the same as Mainoo, who is 12 years his junior.
Man Utd need to cash in on Mourinho signing who's worth less than Mainoo
The talented international has never looked entirely at home in Manchester.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 20, 2024
Ultimately, Lukaku is still a top-flight footballer and looks to be back on his feet in Rome, but the last few years of disappointment and controversy make United's decision to sell him for £73m in 2019 look like a stroke of genius.
