Raymond Jaravaza
HIS recent form is the envy of many and to top it all he has been awarded the Luton Town’s Player of the Month award for March together with a Man of the Match performance a month later but his financial value continues to plummet.
That player is none other than Marvelous Nakamba.
Three months after joining Championship side Luton Town from English Premiership team Aston Villa on a half season loan deal, life has not been good for Nakamba on the field of play.
But in a world where the saying goes that “money talks”, German website Transfermarket on 23 March 2023 still value the Warriors midfielder at €4m, one million lesser than his previous market value.
In fact, Nakamba‘s value fell drastically, by more than half, from around €12 million pounds when he first joined Aston Villa in August 2019 until the Premier League side decided to ship him out on loan early this year.
He has so far played 13 matches for Luton Town since making the switch in late January.
However, this recent redemption has done little in the latest market price valuation update by German website Transfermarket.
Does good form always transform into improved market value for football players?
It’s not always the case, according to football website footballwhispers.com.
The football blog opines that a lot of factors such as age, experience, injury record, the league a player plays in, the length of the contract and the player’s demand all play a role in determining the value of a player.
“The league someone is playing in is something that does define market value.
Generally speaking, the big fish in a little pond will hold less value than the little fish in a big pond perception will always hold sway,” says the football blog.
In terms of player marketability, it says that football is very much a business nowadays and that clubs always want good players in their ranks.
But other questions also come into the mix now.
For instance, is the player a big name?
Are they a brand in their own right?
Will they pull in new fans?
How will shirt sales perform?
“It’s not all about being the best in the business either. Obviously, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo attracted a huge fanfare when they moved clubs. Son Heung-Min (a South Korean) being a Tottenham player will see a lot of his fellow countrymen support the club,” the website adds.
Nakamba will no doubt not be very much worried about his market value but will instead cherish the rich vein of form he is enjoying at Luton Town.