These are the 25 most valuable footballers in Europe

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, center, celebrates with his teammates Luis Suarez, right, and Neymar.AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

A prominent research group in Switzerland has put together a list of “estimated transfer values” for the most expensive footballers in Europe – and there is no room for 32-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the top ten.

Football think tank CIES Football Observatory adopts a “scientific approach” to its methodology, taking into consideration six factors when putting a price on the head Europe’s top players.

The six factors are:

1. Player performance: The quality and consistency of their form
2. Player performance in relation to their club: Are they the star player?
3. International status: How established are they for their country?
4. Contract: Players with longer deals are more expensive
5. Age: Younger players command higher fees
6. Position: Goal scorers are more expensive than goalkeepers

Without further ado, here are the 25 most valuable footballers the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. They are ranked in ascending order.