Danilo catches up
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Ahead of the World Cup, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 606 Brazilian Série A players. The most valuable player at the top remains Palmeiras striker Vitor Roque with 38 million euros. Behind him, two players now share second place: Danilo from Botafogo (+€8m to €32m) and Flamengo’s star signing Lucas Paquetá (-€3m to €32m). The fact that Paquetá’s devaluation is not the biggest headline is due to Santos star Neymar, who was recently called up for the World Cup in North America.
Neymar’s nomination or non-nomination was the prevailing topic in Brazil before the 34-year-old was actually brought in by national coach Carlo Ancelotti. Nevertheless, Neymar cannot maintain his market value of 10 million euros. It goes down by 2 million to 8 million euros. “The fact that a player like Neymar becomes the central question mark of the World Cup nomination shows that he is clearly no longer the undisputed number one in Brazil, and this demotion reflects this reality,” explains Marcos Watts, Area Manager Brazil at Transfermarkt.
“Neymar is already 34 years old,” adds Watts. “The adjustment of his market value is the result of a differentiated situation: when he is fit, he is one of Santos’ best players and contributes to the success with goals and assists. But the ongoing injuries and physical stress are serious. As he appears to be nearing the end of his career, this change reflects both the doubts about his medium-term reliability and the uncertainty about his role in the Brazilian national team.”
Market values in Brazil: Danilo rises, Paquetá falls
In addition to Neymar, the two second-highest rated players in the Brazilian league are heading to the World Cup: Danilo and Paquetá. But their market values developed in different directions. Danilo from Botafogo received a significant increase in his market value from 8 million to 32 million euros.
“Danilo is in the form of his life. Despite being a central midfielder, his goal tally is remarkable and a well-deserved €8m upgrade speaks volumes about his 2026 season,” says Watts. Not only has the 25-year-old put in great performances at Botafogo this year, his Seleção debut was outstanding and he now faces the World Cup, where he may be fighting for a place in the starting XI. Rumors on the transfer market are also numerous, with great interest reported from the top five leagues. So this increase in market value reflects not only its current form, but also the growing demand for it and the likelihood that it will soon return to Europe.
Even though he’s also going to the World Cup, things aren’t exactly going well for former West Ham star Paquetá. “Despite joining his club on record-breaking transfer terms, Paquetá has not made the immediate impact that most expected of him, partly due to injury problems,” says Watts. “Although he is still valuable and is part of Brazil’s World Cup squad, his selection came as a bit of a surprise to some. He is not playing badly, but he is no longer performing at the same level as before, which is reflected in this slight decline. His market value remains high, but his status in the league could shift.”
Market values at Palmeiras: López on the rise, Allan in demand
At Palmeiras, Vitor Roque continues to set standards in Brazil. But he’s not the only player to keep an eye on at the São Paulo club. Strikers José Manuel López and Allan have seen a significant increase in their market values. “Over the last three seasons, José ‘Flaco’ López has gotten better and better for Palmeiras,” says Watts. “He recently secured a place in the Argentina national team and while we are still waiting to see if he makes the Albiceleste World Cup squad, he is probably in the running. He plays for a top club, is only 25 years old and is performing strongly even after his strike partner Vitor Roque was sidelined due to injury – this has great potential for international interest. His current form cements his status as one of the best players in the league.”
While López has increased by €3m to €25m, Allan could also soon attract European interest. “Palmeiras’ Allan is one of Brazil’s most promising young talents and has attracted strong interest from Europe – the club have reportedly rejected several offers for the 22-year-old winger,” says Watts. “He has taken on an important role in attack this season and has maintained his form even after Vitor Roque’s injury, with signs that his development, confidence and consistency have increased by leaps and bounds.”
Although there is a lot of interest in Allan, that doesn’t mean he will move straight away. “Palmeiras, a successful and financially strong club, would not sell him for less than what they consider acceptable and only a very attractive offer from Europe could change their minds,” Watt said. “This market dynamic, combined with his talent, gives him a strong negotiating position. He has continued to develop, stepped in when needed, and that is why he is now one of Brazil’s most valuable players based on his market value.”
Market values in Brazil: Kaio Jorge falls – Gabriel Mec rises
Still in the top three, but with a slight drop to €25m is Kaio Jorge from Cruzeiro. “Kaio Jorge’s 2025 season was his best ever and he started strong this year too,” said Watts. “But as soon as the Campeonato Mineiro ended, his momentum dropped sharply. A few months ago some thought he could be called up for the World Cup. Now, with fewer goals than expected from a struggling Cruzeiro, we are seeing the first real drop in performance since his return to Brazilian football. This slight demotion reflects this change: he is still one of the most talented strikers in the country, but he has not managed to maintain the level of last year.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel Mec from Gremio is on the rise. “We increased the market value of Gabriel Mec from 12 million euros to 16 million euros,” explains Watts. “At the beginning of the year I highlighted his technical brilliance – creativity, ball control and dribbling – and now he fully backs it up. In just a few months he has developed into a standout player in this Gremio squad – a key figure in a team that started the season with uncertainty but is now showing increasing promise. His talent, development and importance are driving the team’s recovery. With his immense potential, he is not only one of the most promising young stars; he is now a decisive factor in the upward trend of his club.”
As always, there are some great talents in Brazil to keep an eye on. Two players who could soon appear in the notebooks of top European clubs are Cruzeiro’s Jonathan Jesus and Flamengo’s Evertton Araújo.
“Jonathan Jesus is a level-headed, tall and physically strong central defender who shows impressive ball control and distribution, coupled with a quick overview of the game and the confidence to play even more difficult passes,” says Watts. “Despite his young age, he is tactically mature, with precise tackles – he waits for the perfect moment to take the ball from the opponent – and a strong understanding of the game. He is definitely one to keep an eye on with regard to Brazil’s future. Two years ago, at the age of 19, he moved from Ceará to Cruzeiro for 1.4 million euros and has developed into one of the most promising young central defenders in the country. With an initial market value of just €200,000, he is now at €8m (+€5m in this update) and is rising rapidly due to his impressive development. At 21, he is already attracting interest in Europe and although a move abroad could be imminent, Cruzeiro could still wait as they know they have a level-headed, rising star in their ranks.”
At Flamengo, Evertton Araújo’s market value has doubled from 5 million to 10 million euros. “Not every young player gets the chance to establish themselves in the strongest squad in the country, but Evertton Araújo, a 23-year-old defensive midfielder, has done exactly that,” says Watts. “He combines exceptional physical intensity with high passing accuracy, tactical intelligence and real dynamism in his positioning. Defensively he is very reliable, but he has also shown that he can contribute in attack, choosing the right moments to support the attack and even scoring the occasional goal.”
But the most remarkable thing is that Evertton Araújo is doing this at one of Brazil’s biggest clubs. “He’s not playing for a club that lacks options – he’s competing with experienced, world-class veterans like Jorginho (-€1m to €4m) and Saúl Ñíguez for a place in arguably the best team in the country. The fact that he’s earning his playing time, consistently performing well and becoming more and more important at just 23 years old says a lot about his level and mentality. His development is clearly visible and his profile as a modern, Versatile defensive midfielder naturally attracts Europe’s attention Given the financial strength and quality of Flamengo’s squad, they wouldn’t need to sell him cheaply, so a future move would likely require a sizeable offer.”
This is how transfer market market values work
The transfer market market values are created taking into account various pricing models as well as a strong involvement of the transfer market community, which deals with the values in detailed discussions. The transfer market market values cannot generally be equated with the transfer fees actually paid.
The goal is not to predict a price, but rather an expected value. When determining the market value, both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant to a certain extent. Examples of this are listed here. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (for detailed market value definition).
