07.07.2025 - 15:17 | source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 16 mins

TM worldwide insight

Lomónaco, Stiller & Co. - A player to watch this window from world's 20 most valuable leagues

Kevin Lomónaco, Angelo Stiller & Co. - A player to watch this transfer window from world's 20 most valuable leagues

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The transfer window is now in full swing, and there will undoubtedly still be plenty of twists and turns before it slams shut on September 1. Transfermarkt is not only the biggest football database in the world, but a global brand, being used all across the planet. The company has employees on five continents, and has 27 international domains. This summer transfer window we have decided to dig into our global expertise to bring you exclusive insight on one player to watch this summer from each of the 20 most valuable leagues in world football (as of June 30, 2025).

Our international experts have tried to focus on players who have been in the media spotlight less frequently and who aren't well known internationally. They have also selected stars who have huge potential, international interest, and could move clubs this summer and become big stories of the transfer window. Find out the talents to look out for from Germany to Greece, from Brazil to Saudi Arabia, and more. So without further ado, let's hand over to our experts and learn about Transfermarkt's players to watch from across the world.

A player to watch from Transfermarkt's 20 most valuable leagues

Premier League - Adam Wharton - Crystal Palace

Transfermarkt UK Content manager Ben Littlemore: Adam Wharton has adapted from the Championship to the Premier League like a duck to water following his move to Crystal Palace in January 2024. The holding midfielder has become an England international and possesses skills not many midfield players have, such as being able to turn under pressure and fire weighted intricate passes between the lines. He has been linked with a number of top clubs from the Premier League and Europe, with Real Madrid, Man City and Liverpool all reportedly interested. Palace are likely to want a hefty fee to let him go, with some reports suggesting the Eagles would want around €70m to allow Wharton to move on.

LaLiga - Yarek Gasiorowski - Valencia

Transfermarkt's Spain Content Manager Iván Fuente: Yarek Gasiorowski is a left-footed defender who can play as a centre-back and as a left back. Raised in the Valencia academy, he has already spent two seasons with the first team. He is tall (1.92m) with a great aerial game - he is a dominant player. He is great with his feet and can initiate the game from defence. He anticipates easily and quickly and is able to win a lot of duels because of his physical characteristics. He would be suited to the physicality of the Premier League, although he has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe, including PSV, Feyenoord, and Sunderland.

Serie A - Yann Bisseck - Inter Milan

Transfermarkt Italy Content Manager Aniello Luciano: Yann Bisseck has been a successful gamble for Inter. He was smart in learning Italian straight away, which allowed him to interact better with his teammates and coaches, and helped him be ready when Simone Inzaghi called on him. He still has to raise his level to be a recognised top player in his role at centre-back, but he has the physicality and good technique to be able to further improve. Inter believes in him, but the call-up to the German national team has once again placed him again under the radar of the transfer market, with many Premier League and European clubs showing interest.

Bundesliga - Angelo Stiller - Stuttgart

Transfermarkt Germany Editor Lennart Gens: Angelo Stiller is a classic strategic defensive midfielder with a very good passing range and good technical skills. He sets the tempo and initiates most of the attacks. A few years ago, he played a bit more offensively, similar to Toni Kroos at the beginning of his career. Stiller is a perfect fit for teams that have lots of possession. Last year, Barcelona were rumoured to be interested, this year it was mainly Real Madrid and Liverpool. In my opinion, he would also fit in very well at Manchester City. Stiller's market value has risen steadily over the last two years and currently stands at €45m, although Stuttgart would probably be looking to raise around €50m if he were to be sold. Despite Stuttgart finishing mid table, he was one of the best players in the Bundesliga.

Ligue 1 - Bafodé Diakité - Lille

Transfermarkt France Content Manager Joachim Durand: Bafodé Diakité is not the most coveted player in Ligue 1. And it is possible he could stay at Lille this summer. Today, he is the leader of the second-best defence in Ligue 1 in 2024/2025. And at the same time, he has performed well against the best clubs in the world in the Champions League (Real Madrid, Juventus, Atlético Madrid). He's not that big for a defender (1.84m), but he's strong in one-on-one situations. He is a versatile player who can also play at right-back without any problems. For all these reasons, I find it hard to understand why no big club is interested in him. It's probably because of his age. He's 24, so he's neither a young prospect, who would represent a high resale potential, nor an experienced player. But if we're talking about football, he'd be a great addition for probably any Premier League club outside the 'Big six'.

Brazilian Serie A - Yuri Alberto - Corinthians

Transfermarkt Brazil Content Manager Thiago Rabelo: Top scorer in the 2024 Brazilian Championship, Yuri Alberto has been one of Brazil's big names this season. He's not as young or as promising as Palmeiras' big star Estêvão, but the Corinthians player has the potential to shine in European football. A versatile player, Alberto can play as a centre-forward or on the wing. He can adapt to offensive teams, who like to control the ball, as well as defensive teams, who play counter-attacking football. As a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, Alberto had to cut short his time at Zenit and it delayed his chance at a European team. Now, with his achievements in Brazil, the path is once again paved for him to move and finally succeed in Europe. Corinthians' long-running political crisis favours Alberto's departure.

Liga Portugal - Tomás Araújo - Benfica

Transfermarkt Portugal Area Manager Gonçalo Tristão Santos: Tomás Araújo was one of the surprises of the season in Portugal. He established himself as one of Benfica’s starting centre-backs and even pushed António Silva to the bench at times. He also showed that he can play reasonably well - though not at the same level - as a right-back. He's strong defensively and comfortable on the ball. I believe that if it weren’t for the physical issues he’s been showing - he’s had a few injuries, which is also why he’s not representing Benfica at the Club World Cup - he would already be closer to moving to one of the top leagues. Even so, he has been linked with clubs like PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern, and I think he could be signed for a fee in the region of €30-40m.

Championship - Finn Azaz - Middlesbrough

Transfermarkt UK Content manager Ben Littlemore: Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz was one of the standout players in the Championship last season, with 23 league goal contributions from attacking midfield. The Republic of Ireland international is one to keep an eye on this summer, with Leeds and Crystal Palace among the Premier League clubs chasing him. He has a fierce long shot in his locker, and is extremely creative. Although, sometimes defensively off the ball he’s not the best. Reports suggest Boro are looking for around €22m for Azaz this summer.

Eredivisie - Souffian El Karouani - Utrecht

Transfermarkt Netherlands Content Manager Owen van Leeuwen: Souffian El Karouani is a modern, attacking left-back for FC Utrecht. The 24-year-old is a dynamic player and makes an average of around 48 tackles per Eredivisie season, also winning 166 duels, creating 75 chances and delivering more than 140 crosses per season. In 2024/25, he scored two goals and provided eight assists in 34 Eredivisie games. He played all 34 matches with a total of 2,975' minutes. His market value is €9m, but taking into account his experience, and his contract which runs until 2026, he should cost between €10-12m depending on interest and competition. There are rumours that Como, Bologna and Marseille are all admirers, and these are most likely the clubs that could meet this asking price.

MLS - Diego Luna - Salt Lake

Transfermarkt North America Area Manager Manuel Veth: Diego Luna remains one of the most interesting names to watch in Major League Soccer. The 21-year-old Real Salt Lake City midfielder increased his market value to €8m in the MLS market value update last spring. That makes the Sunnyvale, California native the most valuable US men’s national team player currently playing in the MLS. Luna lists Marco Reus as the player he most closely compares to. Indeed, he has a somewhat unique profile. Technically gifted, fast, and capable of playing multiple positions, he also has a lot of feistiness to his game. There is also a sense that the time has come for Luna to test himself in a bigger league, and although he has a Mexican passport, the midfielder prefers a move to Europe. RSL received €10m from Stade Rennais for Colombian winger Carlos Andrés Gómez last season, and the expectation is that Luna will break that transfer record.

Süper Lig - Rômulo - Goztepe

Transfermarkt Turkey Area Manager Lara Karacan: Rômulo is a physically dominant and technically sharp 23-year-old Brazilian striker playing for Göztepe. He is known for his intelligent movement, strong hold-up play, and clinical finishing - attributes that have seen him thrive in the Turkish Süper Lig this season. With over 15 goals and close to 10 assists across all competitions, he's become one of the league’s most impactful attackers. His current market value stands at €11m, and he has a lot of interest on the market: Anderlecht reportedly bid €12m, Leipzig had offered €16.5m which was rejected, and Fulham’s €16m + bonuses package was also turned down. Göztepe are holding firm at €20m+. Even Türkiye’s “Big 4” clubs - Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, and Trabzonspor - showed interest, but were put off by the steep price tag. His rise has been remarkable, especially considering he was still playing in the Turkish second division just last season.

Jupiler Pro League - Mario Stroeykens - Anderlecht

Transfermarkt Belgium Area Manager Bart Tamsyn: Despite being only 20 years old, Mario Stroeykens has already played 132 games for Anderlecht's first team. He is a creative playmaker and made his debut at the age of 16, which immediately earned him the label of a top talent. In the 2023/2024 season, he was used as a central attacking midfielder and worked his way up to become a regular starter. Last season was supposed to be his big breakthrough year, and he started well, causing his market value to rise to €14m. However, he suffered a few injuries and was unable to regain his previous form. Given that Anderlecht are undergoing a partial rebuild, and that he is entering the final year of his contract, it is likely that Anderlecht will be open to a transfer if a good offer is made. By a good offer, they mean at least €17m and preferably closer to €20m, but it's doubtful whether any club would go that far. According to rumours, West Ham's opening bid was only €10m.

Argentine Torneo Apertura - Kevin Lomónaco - Independiente

Transfermarkt South America & Argentina Area Manager Scott Christensen: Obviously they can't be directly compared as the latter is one of the best CDMs I've ever seen, but having Kevin Lomónaco is kind of like having a player like Sergio Busquets playing as a centre back. Lomónaco has huge quality, playing always calmly from the back and usually the one initiating attacks; it sometimes feels like he's playing in his own back garden with no pressure. He reads the game perfectly, often intercepting passes and then leading the attack, as strange as it might seem he's an offensive CB. Due to his characteristics I think he'll have a big market in Europe but he's had some issues in the past (related to gambling) which I guess won't be overseen by the top clubs. He became the MVP of the Argentine League after Franco Mastantuono left and has been called to the Argentina national team for the last international games. He says he's comfortable at Independiente but a big offer might change his mind.

Russian Premier Liga - Eduard Spertsyan - FC Krasnodar

Transfermarkt Russia Area Manager Georgiy Lekarev: The captain and one of the leaders of FC Krasnodar, Eduard Spertsyan, is attracting the most interest in the Russian Premier League. The Armenian midfielder is unique in his versatility, technical skills, dribbling, and ball striking both from open play and set pieces. Already, there is high market demand from Ligue 1, the Premier League, the Portuguese League, and the Eredivisie. Despite sanctions imposed on Russia by countries around the world, many clubs are considering various options to negotiate with FC Krasnodar for a future transfer, and the club itself is ready to release its player to Europe on terms convenient for both sides for a sum of no less than €15m.

Saudi Pro League - Musab Al-Juwayr - Al-Hilal

Transfermarkt Asia Area Manager Tiberius Radziejewski: Musab Al-Juwayr has the potential to become Saudi Arabia’s next national treasure. Despite most Saudi top players struggling to find playtime after the arrival of international stars, Musab was a key player for Al-Shabab at only 21 years old. His value rose from €900k to €4m. He impresses with his vision, ability to create chances, and overall playmaking skills. The central midfielder has now returned to his boyhood club Al-Hilal where he faces a new head coach and much tougher competition. While the rumour mill has remained quiet - given Al-Hilal's FIFA Club World Cup campaign and the arrival of a new head coach - we are still waiting to see how Simone Inzaghi plans to utilise Saudi Arabia's prodigy. Musab featured for just 13 minutes across the three group stage matches. Will he face the same fate as many other Saudi players confined to the bench, and therefore could he move on to Europe? We will wait and see.

Liga MX Apertura - Elías Montiel - Pachuca

Transfermarkt North America Content Manager Osvaldo González Camacho: At just 19 years old, Elías Montiel has already surpassed 5,000 minutes in Mexico’s top flight, featuring in 67 matches for Pachuca. A defensive midfielder with remarkable maturity, Montiel has also shone in international competitions - he was a standout and MVP for his team in the Intercontinental Cup, and one of the few bright sparks for Pachuca at the Club World Cup where he scored. Pachuhca is part of 'Grupo Pachuca', which also owns Spanish side Real Oviedo, recently promoted to LaLiga - a potential next step in his career. Reports also link him to Ajax and Braga, with scouts monitoring his progress closely, though no official offers have been made yet. His Club World Cup performance could trigger further interest. Valued at €5m, Montiel is also in the mix for Mexico’s senior national team.

Bundesliga 2 - Taylan Bulut - Schalke

Transfermarkt Germany Editor Lennart Gens: Taylan Bulut is a very athletic and strong right-back, who can play both in a back four and a back five. At 19, he is still a long way from the end of his development and can still make some technical improvements. In recent months, Bulut has been the subject of interest from Italy, RB Salzburg and the Bundesliga. However, his athletic style of play also makes him a very good fit for England. I would trust him to play a good role in the Championship. His exit clause was only valid until mid-May, now Schalke can negotiate freely. As the club urgently needs money, a transfer is very likely and would probably be possible for around €5m. Bulut was thrown in at the deep end at the start of the season, while things didn't go well at all for Schalke. He was one of the few positive surprises and was popular with the fans because he always gave everything.

Serie B - Gianluca Busio - Venezia

Transfermarkt Italy Content Manager Aniello Luciano: Venezia's recent relegation to Serie B opens up a question around midfielder Gianluca Busio's career: whether to remain faithful to his team and try to bring them back to Serie A, or leave them after 4 years to play a higher level. He is a flexible midfielder, and has the profile of an international player. There is no shortage of offers for him, especially in Italy. The USA international (17 caps) is at the right age (23) to want a different experience and compete in a more competitive context.

LaLiga 2 - Luis Suárez - Almeria

Transfermarkt Spain Area Manager Iván Turmo: Luis Suárez has been one of the most decisive players in LaLiga 2 and, in fact, was the top scorer with 27 goals and eight assists, which translates into his best season as a professional. He is living a stage of maturity that has been reflected in his return to the Colombia national team to play the last matches of the South American qualifiers. Thanks to his impressive numbers, Almería are rubbing their hands together with offers from many clubs to sign the striker, which will raise his final price. Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and Sporting are some of the teams that would be bidding for the transfer, which could make Suárez the biggest sale in the history of Almería ahead of Darwin Núñez. The player has asked to leave this summer and although the club refers to the €100m clause, the Andalusians need to bring in money and the local press points to a minimum of €25m to start talks.

Greek Super League - Christos Mouzakitis - Olympiacos

Transfermarkt Greece Area Manager Nikos Sofis: Christos Mouzakitis is a technically gifted player, he is very calm and has a great first touch. His passing range is also exceptional for his age, and he's a very good box-to-box player. The biggest teams in Europe want him and I doubt he will stay at Olympiacos until 2029 (contract duration). He also recently signed with the agency OIS, which could also suggest bigger opportunities. His cost would surely be around, or higher, than that of Kostoulas to Brighton. 100% it won't be any less, as Olympiacos see him as the ultimate talent that came from their academy. They also rated Kostoulas very highly, but for them, Mouzakitis is the one with the biggest potential, suggesting an even bigger income. In his first season for the first team, he has played 36 times, scored two goals and provided four assists. In general, he made an instant impact this season! As also can be seen from becoming a national team player for Greece at just 17 years old.

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