Human Development Index (HDI), composite of education levels of people, per capita income and health status is believed to be the best way to compare countries. Many also believe that there is a correlation between the economy of a country and its performance in sports. However, this piece is not about revealing the best or worst, winners or losers, it is just about individual performers of the world’s most popular sport and their market value based on the data of Transfermarkt – reference site for fans of player ratings and statistics – which last week updated market value of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Georgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Napoli and the Georgia national team, adding additional EUR 25 million to his market cost.
With EUR 85 million, the above-mentioned Georgian Kvaratskhelia is currently 15th (Enzo Fernández ranked 14th also worth EUR 85 million) most valuable player at Transfermarkt. Kvaratskhelia is number one by market value among 15 post-Soviet states.
Below is the detailed list of each post-Soviet country’s most expensive football players and their market values:
Georgia - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Left Winger, €85.00m
Ukraine - Mykhaylo Mudryk, Left Winger, €60.00m
Russia - Matvey Safonov, Goalkeeper, €15.00m
Armenia - Eduard Spertsyan, Attacking Midfield €9.00m
Uzbekistan - Eldor Shomurodov, Centre-Forward, €7.00m
Kazakhstan - Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov, Attacking Midfield, €5.00m
Latvia - Raimonds Krollis, Centre-Forward, €2.50m
Estonia - Karl Hein, Goalkeeper, €1.50m
Azerbaijan - Emin Mahmudov, Central Midfield, €1.40m
Belarus - Maks Ebong, Central Midfield, €1.20m
Moldova - Vadim Rata, Central Midfield, €1.10m
Tajikistan - Parvizdzhon Umarbaev, Defensive Midfield, €750k
Kyrgyzstan - Gulzhigit Alykulov, Left Winger, €600k
Lithuania - Justas Lasickas, Right-Back, €500k
Turkmenistan - Rakhat Zhaparov, Goalkeeper, €250k.
