Bundesliga
Nigerian listed among devalued 10 footballers as winter transfer window opens
With the start of the new year the window of the winter transfer market opens and for this reason, Marca, a Spanish sports publication takes a look at the players who have appreciated the most in recent months and see those who have lost the most value.
Incidentally, a Nigerian-born footballer in the Spanish league is league is listed among the latter. He is listedas number six among those who have lost the most value.
Specifically, the changes are compared to September 2022, that is, more or less since the beginning of the current season.
The start of the competitions and the World Cup have led some to rise a lot in value, while others have plummeted. These values and variations, prepared by Football Benchark, a data and analysis platform for the football business, lead us to focus on the next 10 footballers on each list .
Most revalued footballers
1.Gavi
The Barcelona player is the one who has made his value grow the most. He is now worth 36.38 million more , adding a total of 108.6 million , which places him as the eighth footballer with the highest market value in the world.
2. Enzo Fernandez
The great World Cup of the Argentine and the great campaign, especially in the Champions League, of Benfica, have been key to his rise. He is worth almost 30 kilos more, adding a total of 57 million . It is the 87th world value.
3. Musiala
Another whose progression has been growing until reaching its zenith in the World Cup, despite the poor performance of Germany. The Bayern player is now worth 29.18 kilos more, reaching 111.7 to be the seventh value worldwide
4. Goncalo Ramos
The substitute for Darwin Núñez at Benfica is performing at a high level and his hat-trick against Switzerland in the World Cup has also contributed to raising his value by 26.56 million. He now costs 41.7 kilos .
5. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The first on this list who did not participate in the World Cup. but he didn’t need it. His spectacular start to the season with Napoli, with great performances in the Champions League, have led the Georgian to be worth 26.49 million more, rising to 63.5 million .
6. Julian Alvarez
Another Argentine who has benefited from his great role in the World Cup. The City striker is now worth 74 million, 25.29 more than at the beginning of the course, slipping into the top 50.
7. Kim Min Jae
The defender who has been revalued the most. The Korean from Naples is having a great season and his more than acceptable World Cup has helped raise his value by 22 million. He now costs 44.7 kilos .
8. Kolo Muani
The Frenchman is on a clearly ascending line since he signed for Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. His good World Cup has also contributed, where he has been an important player for Deschamps coming off the bench. The value of it has grown to almost 19 million. He is now worth 32.1 kilos .
9. Vitinha
The PSG player sneaks into the top10 despite a discreet World Cup. But his signing for the French team and his performances there, in addition to his youth, make him have grown 17.96 million to reach 55.8 .
10. Mac Allister
Another little arsenal on the list thanks to his great World Cup. The Brighton player raises his price by 17.87 million. He now costs 35.6 .
Most devalued footballers
1.Lukaku
Injuries have not helped him much this season. On top of that, Belgium’s poor role in the World Cup has also taken its toll. And those four clear chances missed against Croatia have certainly had an effect. It is now worth 19.64 million less. In total, 48.2.
2. Florian Wirtz
Another whose value has plummeted due to injuries. A serious knee injury that has led him to be out for almost a year has been to blame for this promising Leverkusen player falling as fast as he had risen. It is worth 65.8 million, 16.68 less than in September.
3. Arnaut Danjuma
The Nigerian-born Villarreal striker has fallen at the same speed that he rose last season when he was one of the revelations of LaLiga. This season is not at the same level. His age (he is no longer a juvenile) doesn’t help either. He is 15.14 kilos less, although he still costs 37.3.
3. Jadon Sancho
The Englishman has not yet taken off at Manchester United and his absence in the World Cup showed that he is not at the expected level. Therefore, his value is falling. He now costs 73.2 million, 14.92 less than in September.
5.Tielemans
Another which the World Cup has not been good for him. The Belgian performance has also taken its toll on the Leicester player, who is now worth 13.83 million less (22.8 in total) .
6.Dendoncker
Another Belgian in free fall. Aston Villa’s now costs 8.2 million, which is 13.17 less than just four months ago.
7. Soyuncu
The Leicester Turk, who is very close to ending up at Atlético, costs 12.7 million, almost half of what he was worth before.
8. Malinovskyi
The Ukrainian from Atalanta is in his thirties and it shows when it comes to pricing him. And his performance is being lower than before, so it is now worth 6.4 million (12.58 less) .
9. Skrining
The Inter center-back, highly valued last summer, being close to signing for PSG, is now worth 32.5 kilos. It has fallen 12.51 million.
10. Kessie
The Barcelona player closes this top 10 with a drop of 11.9 million. He now costs a little over 38 kilos
A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division match on Sunday in an audacious act of sabotage that left the referee looking at a blank screen when he was called to review a potential penalty.
The bizarre incident unfolded during the Bundesliga 2 clash between Preussen Muenster and visiting Hertha Berlin, when referee Felix Bickel was summoned to the pitchside monitor only to discover that someone had yanked out the power plug.
According to Muenster’s website, a masked supporter had infiltrated the interior and unplugged the VAR monitor, sabotaging the review process. German media reported that at the same time, home fans displayed a banner reading “Pull the plug on VAR”.
With Bickel unable to view the replay, VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne was forced to make the decision remotely, ruling that the challenge was indeed a foul, prompting Bickel to award the penalty, which Hertha duly converted.
The Berlin side eventually won the match 2–1 with a stoppage-time goal.
Muenster later said the incident appeared to have been a planned action and that the club would do everything in its power to identify those responsible.
-Reuters
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German football powerhouse Borussia Dortmund has officially launched the BVB International Academy Ghana, marking the club’s first international academy on the African continent.
The academy, which will commence operations in Accra in February 2026, is based at Achimota School and has been established in partnership with Accra Shooting Stars FC. It is designed to provide structured football development for boys and girls aged 6 to 18.
In a statement announcing the project, Dortmund described the initiative as a major milestone for youth football development in Ghana and part of the club’s expanding global academy network.
Young players enrolled at the academy will be trained under Borussia Dortmund’s internationally recognised methodology, which emphasises discipline, leadership, education, nutrition and holistic personal development, while remaining aligned with Ghana’s vibrant football culture.
Benedikt Scholz, Director of Internationalisation and Commercial Partnerships and Managing Director of the BVB Football Academy, said the launch reflects the Bundesliga side’s longstanding relationship with Ghana, forged through former players such as Otto Addo and Ibrahim Tanko.
He described the academy as a “strong statement” of intent and noted that the club’s objective is to build sustainable youth development structures in close cooperation with local partners.
Academy Director Teddy Hiadzi explained that the project is inclusive by design, offering pathways for both recreational and elite players.
“Every child’s football journey is different,” Hiadzi said, adding that the academy’s priority is to provide quality coaching, clear developmental structures and a safe environment for growth on and off the pitch.
Former Dortmund midfielder and Black Stars legend Ibrahim Tanko has been appointed ambassador of the BVB International Academy Ghana. He described the academy as a special opportunity for young Ghanaian talents, noting that the country’s passion for football makes it an ideal environment to instil the mindset and discipline required to succeed at the highest level.
The BVB International Academy Ghana will operate as an official member of Dortmund’s global International Academy network, which already includes academies across Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. Enrolment for the first intake is underway, with information sessions and football camps scheduled in collaboration with local schools.
The launch further strengthens Dortmund’s footprint in Africa and underscores Ghana’s growing reputation as a hub for structured youth football development on the continent.
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Bayer Leverkusen kept pace with Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich by beating Hoffenheim 3-1 on Sunday with goals from Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong.
Leverkusen finished with 10 players after Álex Grimaldo’s sending off with half an hour to play. New signings Emiliano Buendía and Mario Hermoso made their debuts as Xabi Alonso’s team stayed six points behind Bayern two weeks before the top two clash in Leverkusen.
Bayern defeated Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
Boniface scored with his first shot at goal since his proposed move to Saudi team Al-Nassr collapsed. The Nigeria forward started for his first game since early November after recovering from a thigh injury, and he scored in the 15th minute with a shot that Hoffenheim ’keeper Luca Philipp should arguably have stopped.
Frimpong made it 2-0 four minutes later after Aleix García sent the Dutch wing back through.
Then Robin Braun became the first referee to announce a VAR call to fans in a Bundesliga game when a penalty he awarded to Nathan Tella for a foul by Hoffenheim defender David Jurasek was taken back — video replays showed the Leverkusen attacker was coming from an offside position before he was fouled.
Leverkusen’s match was among five in the 20th round trialling the NFL-style announcements, a change league officials hope will make the much-maligned VAR system more popular among fans.
Buendía went on for the injured Tella to make his Bundesliga debut before the break, and Schick went on for Boniface after it.
Buendía surged through the Hoffenheim defence only to see his shot saved by Philipp, but Schick was there to tuck away the rebound for 3-0 in the 51st. It was the Czech forward’s 14th league goal of the season.
Then Grimaldo was shown red in the 61st when Hoffenheim substitute Gift Orban went on for the visitors. Orban pulled a goal back a minute later.
Buendía made way for Hermoso to compensate for Grimaldo’s sending off. Though tempers flared at times, Leverkusen’s 10 men contained the visitors for the rest of the game.
Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt drew with Wolfsburg 1-1 in the early game.
-AFP
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