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Most valuable players without Champions League games: Wirtz alongside Rice & Co.rice vector

“I want to lead my team to a Champions League place,” Florian Wirtz said ahead of the season in an interview with Sky.After finishing sixth in the Bundesliga last season, Bayer Leverkusen want to end their two-year run without UCL football. While the best and most valuable players play in the competition every year, the 18-year-old is among the players with the highest market value to have never played in the most important club competition in the world.

Market Value F. Wirtz Attacking Midfield €70.00m

The only players with a higher market value than Wirtz, who ranks second with a market value of €65 million, are Mikel Oyarzabal from Real Sociedad and Declan Rice from West Ham United—the twoshare first place with a market value of €70 million. Since his breakthrough in 2019, Rice has been linked with several top clubs in the Premier League, but West Ham United’s transfer demands have torpedoed any potential move. Hammers’ manager David Moyes wanted £100 million (€118m) for the defender in the last window and has since pointed out that the London-based club could ask for even more.

Rice & Saka in the top 5: The most valuable player without a Champions League game 37 Xaver Schlager (VfL Wolfsburg) – Market value: €27m &copyImago/TM

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37 Ismaila Sarr (FC Watford) – Market value: €27m &copyimago images

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35 Evan N’Dicka (Frankfurt) – Market value: €28M &copyimago images

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35 Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) – Market value: €28m &copyimago images

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29 Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) – Market value: €30m &copyimago images

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29 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – Market value: €30m &copyimago images

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29 Gianluca Mancini (Roma) – Market value: €30m &copyimago images

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29 Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) – Market value: €30m &copyImago/TM

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29 John McGinn (Aston Villa) – Market value: €30m &copyImago/TM

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29 Bryan Gil (Tottenham) – Market value: €30m &copyimago images

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25 Raphinha (Leeds United) – Market value: €32m &copyimago images

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25 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – Market value: €32m &copyimago images

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25 Ivan Toney (Brentford) – Market value: €32m &copyimago images

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25 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) – Market value: €32m &copyimago images

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16 Jordan Veretout (Roma) – Market value: €35m &copyImago/TM

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16 Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Lucas Paqueta (Lyon) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Aurélien Tchouameni (Monaco) – Market value: €35m &copyTM/imago images

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16 Nicolas Pépé (Arsenal) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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16 Andrea Belotti (Torino) – Market value: €35m &copyimago images

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11 Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) – Market value: €40m &copyimago images

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11 Wesley Fofana (Leicester) – Market value: €40m &copyimago images

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11 Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) – Market value: €40m &copyimago images

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11 Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad) – Market value: €40m &copyimago images

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11 Ben White (Arsenal) – Market value: €40m &copyimago images

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8 Caglar Söyüncü (Leicester) – Market value: €45m &copyImago/TM

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8 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) – Market value: €45m &copyimago images

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8 Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) – Market value: €45m &copyImago/TM

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6 Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina) – Market value: €50m &copyimago images

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6 James Maddison (Leicester) – Market value: €50m &copyImago/TM

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5 Richarlison (Everton) – Market value: €55m &copyImago/TM

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3 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen) – Market value: €65m &copyimago images

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3 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – Market value: €65m &copyimago images

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1 Declan Rice (West Ham) – Market value: €70m &copyimago images

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1 Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) – Market value: €70m &copyimago images

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Wirtz, who is under contract until 2026, is in a similar transfer category. But according to Bayer Leverkusen, director of sport Rudi Völler, a transfer will not be possible until the summer of 2023. “Definitely,” Völler recently said when asked whether Wirtz will wear the Leverkusen shirt next season.

Wirtz in the top-5 Players with the biggest market value jump in 2021

The wait for the UCL: Zaha at Palace – Saka & Vlahovic other examples

While Wirtz and other young stars like Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina), and Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) are still at the beginning of their career and will have plenty of opportunities to play in the Champions League, Wilfried Zaha has already missed a few chances to play in the world’s premier club competition. The Ivorian will celebrate his 29th birthday this week and has never played in the UCL or Europa League.

Market Value W. Zaha Left Winger €38.00m

Crystal Palace are currently 13th in England and unlikely to ever qualify for the Champions League. Zaha’s market value of €45 million makes him the most valuable player in the Palace’s squad and is under contract until 2023. This summer was the third year in a row he tried to leave the Eagles. But like it was the case for Price, his club wanted €100 million to agree to a transfer.

Most valuable players without Champions League games: Wirtz alongside Rice & Co.