Table of Contents
A buyers guide
Hackney, Eichhorn, Hernández and more: Five second division players to watch this summer
©TM/IMAGO
Whether it is the Championship, 2. Bundesliga, LaLiga2, Ligue 2, or Serie B; increasingly, the second divisions of Europe’s top five countries have produced top talents. Want a few examples? RB Leipzig signed Yan Diomande from LaLiga2 side CD Leganés last season for €20m. A good investment, the Ivorian winger has a market value of €75m. No other player has seen a bigger market value increase since the start of the season than the 19-year-old Leipzig forward (overview).
Market Value
Y. Diomande
Left Winger
€75.00m
Another top prospect who was signed from LaLiga2 is Christian Kofane. Leverkusen signed the striker for just €5.25m. His market value now? €40m! Leverkusen actually struck gold twice as they also signed Ibrahim Maza from 2. Bundesliga side Hertha for just €12m. The Algerian has since increased his market value by 233.3% to €40m. In the Premier League, Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi is one of the top young strikers. The French forward joined Bournemouth for just €13m from Lorient and has since increased his market value to €40m.
Market Value
J. Kroupi
Centre-Forward
€40.00m
In other words, it is worth paying attention to the second divisions of Europe’s top leagues. Perhaps the hardest place to find bargains is the EFL Championship. England’s second division is awash with Premier League money, and, as a result, the market values of players playing there are often much higher than they would be in the lower divisions on the continent. There are 62 players playing in Europe’s top second division with a market value of €10m or more, and 50 of those players play in the Championship.
The most valuable players: Championship / 2. Bundesliga / LaLiga2 / Ligue 2 / Serie B
The 11 players, with a market value of €10m or more who don’t play in England are Yeremay Hernández (€25m; Deportivo La Coruña), Patrick Zabi (€20m; Stade Reims), Kennet Eichhorn (€20m; Hertha Berlin), Sergio Arribas (€15m; UD Almería), Lucas Stassin (€15m; AS Saint-Étienne), Abdoul Koné (€15m; Stade Reims), Mika Mármol (€10m; UD Las Palmas), Zuriko Davitashvili (€10m; Saint-Étienne), Mathys Detoubert (€10m; ESTAC Troyes), Francis Onyeka (€10m; VfL Bochum), and Dennis Seimen (€10m; Paderborn).
The graphic above shows the 20 most valuable players playing in the second divisions of Europe’s top five countries. Speaking to Area Managers and contributors from our extensive network, we have highlighted a player from each of those leagues who could be on the move this summer. We have excluded players such as Zabi (Paris FC) and Koné (RB Leipzig), who have already agreed to transfers to other clubs. The only player we featured who isn’t on the above list is Issa Doumbia from Serie B side Venezia. We will start our journey there.
Five second division players to watch this summer:
Issa Doumbia – Venezia FC (Market value: €8m)
Stefano Buonfino (Transfermarkt Content Manager Italy): “He has already had a taste of Serie A in the 24/25 season and made a good impression despite the relegation. This year, he’s been simply sensational. He’s physically strong, he's good at taking the ball and gaining meters on the field, he is solid in defense, and he has also learned to be a threat going forward with good runs and intelligent decision-making.”
Stats
I. Doumbia
Central Midfield
Venezia FC
38
10
6
How likely is he to move on? “The likelihood of him moving this summer is very high; Venezia are unlikely to be able to keep him. I just regret that he’ll most likely move out of Italy; there’s a lot of talk about Portugal, and I reckon he’ll end up at one of the top three clubs there. If things go as they should, in a couple of years, Italian clubs won’t be able to afford him anymore. In my opinion, he’s the prototype of the modern midfielder; he’s got huge potential, and in Portugal, they do a brilliant job with young players. So, if everything goes as it should, in two or three years’ time the Premier League – a league perfectly suited to his characteristics – will come knocking for him.”
Market Value
I. Doumbia
Central Midfield
€8.00m
Lucas Stassin – AS Saint-Étienne (Market value: €15m)
Ronan Caroff (Transfermarkt Area Manager France): “No matter whether St. Etienne are promoted or not, Stassin will be a major talking point this summer. Already last summer, after ASSE were relegated, many clubs made offers for the Belgian striker. Paris FC, for example, offered €26m plus €3m in bonuses. But Stassin stayed put.
Stats
L. Stassin
Centre-Forward
AS Saint-Étienne
31
10
7
After a few weeks of frustration, Stassin got back to work. Despite playing a strong season, it was relatively quiet around him last winter. That could change. The forward did play for Belgium against Mexico last month. In all logic, St Etienne won't resist too much this summer if serious offers come for Stassin, and I think the same type of teams from the past two windows would be the most interested. Ambitious newcomers like Paris FC, or regular participants in European competitions like Stade Rennais or Real Betis.
Market Value
L. Stassin
Centre-Forward
€15.00m
About the player himself, his former St. Etienne coach, Olivier Dall'Oglio, said: "He knows that these days, if he wants to be a top-class striker, he has to run. His greatest strength is his movement. He reads the game well and is very precise in the basics: control and passing. But ultimately, he’s a striker. He’s only satisfied when he scores. It’s an obsession."
Kennet Eichhorn – Hertha Berlin (Market value: €16m)
Lennart Gens (Content Creator Transfermarkt.de): “Without a doubt, Eichhorn, together with Lennart Karl, is the biggest talent in German football. At Hertha, Eichhorn has trained with the first team since he turned 15, but had to wait until he was 16 to make his debut for the first team. Ever since, he has been a regular starter, and only an ankle injury in January stopped his progress.”
Stats
K. Eichhorn
Defensive Midfield
Hertha BSC
17
1
0
What sort of player is Eichhorn? “Even now, Eichhorn already has all the qualities you need to play as a holding-six. He is very calm on the ball, and despite his young age, can control a game. His technique is good, and his physicality, despite his youth, is already impressive. While already quite strong in those areas, he can obviously still improve. With a market value of €20m, Eichhorn, together with Max Dowman, is the most valuable 16-year-old in the world. The big German clubs are all interested. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and VfB Stuttgart have all made their pitch. Thanks to an exit clause, Eichhorn is available for €10-12m.”
Market Value
K. Eichhorn
Defensive Midfield
€20.00m
Yeremay Hernández – Deportivo La Coruña (Market value: €25m)
Ivan Fuentes (Transfermarkt Content Manager Spain): “Hernández is a talented left winger; he is fast and can score goals. He isn’t the tallest but has strong legs and can be compared a bit with Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz or Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız. Those attributes have made him the most valuable player in LaLiga2 history. He is also the most valuable player in Deportivo La Coruña’s history.”
Stats
Y. Hernández
Left Winger
Deportivo de La Coruña
37
11
9
Will he stay at Deportivo La Coruña beyond this season? “He signed a new contract last season that will run until 2030 and has club options for three additional years. Despite that, he will probably leave if the club aren’t promoted. He has already been linked to Chelsea, who want him to join Strasbourg, Portuguese giants Sporting offered €30m, and Como have also shown interest.”
Market Value
Y. Hernández
Left Winger
€25.00m
Hayden Hackney – Middlesbrough (Market value: €28m)
Ben Littlemore (Transfemarkt UK Content Manager UK): “Middlesbrough did very well to hold on to Hayden Hackney last summer – he was close to a big money move to Ipswich, with Premier League clubs also interested. But he stayed, and he has been a revelation this season. His inclusion in the Championship Team of the Season and his awarding of the Championship Player of the Season was no surprise, nor was the fact that Middlesbrough's form plummeted when he got injured.”
Stats
H. Hackney
Defensive Midfield
Middlesbrough FC
40
6
8
“He is a midfielder who offers everything: he is a fantastic passer of the ball, can glide past players, and is a goal threat too. He's also got a great engine and is solid on the defensive side of the game. Hackney has also been a consistent selection throughout England's youth ranks.” So, what comes next? “If Middlesbrough don't go up, I can't see anyway they can hold on to him any longer. Brighton, Everton, Manchester United and Ipswich have all shown interest, and I would expect him to move for €30m or north of that. His market value is currently €28m, but that could rise further in May's update. Without doubt, a future Premier League midfielder.”
Market Value
H. Hackney
Defensive Midfield
€28.00m
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