Market values CPL: Tahid the big winner - More downgrades than upgrades
The 2023 Canadian Premier League season is in the books, and for the fourth time, Forge FC have walked away with the title after a dramatic final against Cavalry FC (2-1 AET). With the season completed, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 196 CPL players, and overall, there have been more downgrades than upgrades. In fact, of the eight teams in the league, five saw their overall squad value go down in this upgrade. One exception is Vancouver FC, where 16-year-old wonderkid Taryck Tahid is the biggest winner of the market value update.
Tahid has been one of the biggest discoveries of the 2023 season. Only 16, Tahid made history earlier this season when he became the youngest player in Canadian Premier League history when made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Cavalry FC on May 7, 2023. Tahid also holds the record for the youngest goalscorer in Canadian Premier League history when he scored in Vancouver FC’s 3-6 defeat to British Columbia rivals Pacific FC on Jun. 3, 2023. Tahid is also one of the standout names for Canada ahead of the U17 World Cup later this year. With all that in mind, a significant upgrade was only consequential. Tahid saw his market value increase by 1400% from €10,000 to €150,000.
The other big winners of the update were the HFX Wanderers. The club from Halifax, Nova Scotia, finished third in the regular season and were only narrowly eliminated by Pacific FC in the Canadian Premier League playoff first round (0-1). With that in mind, HFX Wanderers saw their market value increase from €3.07m to €3.36m despite the fact that in João Morelli a player with a significant market value retired and will no longer count towards the overall squad value. Overall, ten HFX Wanderers players saw their market value increase, including Mohamed Omar and Daniel Nimick (both +€100,000 to €200,000). Nimick, in particular, is one to keep an eye on as the defender is being heavily scouted by Major League Soccer sides.
Canadian Premier League – Low transfer fees impact market values
Despite the upgrades, the league has seen a significant number of downgrades. Those downgrades are not due to a drop in quality, however. Instead, Transfermarkt has noted that there is a lack of evidence that clubs are willing to pay significant fees for CPL players. Only Tristan Borges (to OH Leuven) and Alejandro Díaz (to Sogndal) have generated significant transfer fees, and even in those cases, those fees were significantly below our market value.
Furthermore, in both cases, the players would return to the CPL in short order. Borges is back with Forge FC and Díaz now plays for Vancouver FC and has seen his market value downgraded from €250,000 to €200,000. With all that in mind, Transfermarkt has decided to slowly decrease market values in the CPL to reflect the economic reality of Canada's first division more closely within the global transfer system.
How Transfermarkt market values work
The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees.
The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).
- Date of birth/Age:
- Apr 21, 2007 (17)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- Vancouver FC
- Contract until:
- -
- Position:
- Left Winger
- Market Value:
- €150k
- Date of birth/Age:
- Jan 22, 1999 (25)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- San Antonio FC
- Contract until:
- Nov 30, 2024
- Position:
- Central Midfield
- Market Value:
- €200k
- Date of birth/Age:
- Sep 22, 2000 (23)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- HFX Wanderers FC
- Contract until:
- Dec 31, 2024
- Position:
- Centre-Back
- Market Value:
- €200k
- Total Market Value:
- €3.07m
- Competition:
- Canadian Premier League
- Position:
- 3.
- Manager:
- Bobby Smyrniotis
- Squad size:
- 26
- Latest Transfer:
- Matteo Schiavoni
- Total Market Value:
- €2.55m
- Competition:
- Canadian Premier League
- Position:
- 7.
- Manager:
- Patrice Gheisar
- Squad size:
- 23
- Latest Transfer:
- Daniel Clarke
- Total Market Value:
- €3.45m
- Competition:
- Canadian Premier League
- Position:
- 4.
- Manager:
- Afshin Ghotbi
- Squad size:
- 26
- Latest Transfer:
- Matteo Campagna