According to the latest estimates from the renowned transfer market website Transfermarkt, Nguyen Xuan Son is valued at €700,000, becoming the most valuable Vietnamese player in history. Xuan Son also ranks among the top 15 most valuable players in Southeast Asian football.
Transfermarkt’s statistics show that in the list of the top 15 most valuable players in Southeast Asia as of January 19, 2025, the first six positions are held by Indonesian players. This includes naturalized stars such as Mies Hilgers (€9 million, nearly 13 times Xuan Son’s value), Kevin Diks (€4.5 million), Jay Idzes (€3 million), Calvin Verdonk (€2.5 million), Marten Paes (€1.8 million), and Thom Haye (€1.5 million). This is understandable given that these players are based in Europe.
The six most valuable players in Southeast Asia are naturalized Indonesian players.
Meanwhile, the 7th and 8th positions in the top 15 are held by Thai players, Supachai Jaided (€1.2 million) and Chanathip Songkrasin (€1 million). The following positions include Sandy Walsh (Indonesia, €1 million), Dion Cools (Malaysia, €800,000), Supachoke Sarachat (Thailand, €800,000), Suphanat Mueanta (€800,000), Jordi Amat (Indonesia, €750,000), Gerrit Holtmann (Philippines, €700,000), and finally, Nguyen Xuan Son (Vietnam, €700,000).
Notably, many of the players on this top 15 list were absent from the AFF Cup 2024, particularly the naturalized Indonesian stars and Thailand’s Supachai-Chanathip duo. This is one of the reasons why Indonesia and Thailand couldn’t compete for the championship title with Vietnam.
Of course, transfer value is just one factor in assessing the development of football in a region or a national team. In Southeast Asia, for example, while Indonesia’s total transfer value far exceeds that of Vietnam, it doesn’t necessarily reflect a proportional gap in the teams’ performances.
For Vietnam, aside from Xuan Son, most of the players have relatively modest transfer values. However, the team has proven that they can come together as a strong collective, as evidenced by their convincing AFF Cup championship.
Xuan Son ranks 15th among the most valuable players in Southeast Asian football.
- Mies Hilgers (Indonesia, €9 million)
- Kevin Diks (Indonesia, €4.5 million)
- Jay Idzes (Indonesia, €3 million)
- Calvin Verdonk (Indonesia, €2.5 million)
- Marten Paes (Indonesia, €1.8 million)
- Thom Haye (Indonesia, €1.5 million)
- Supachai Jaided (Thailand, €1.2 million)
- Chanathip Songkrasin (Thailand, €1 million)
- Sandy Walsh (Indonesia, €1 million)
- Dion Cools (Malaysia, €800,000)
- Supachoke Sarachat (Thailand, €800,000)
- Suphanat Mueanta (Thailand, €800,000)
- Jordi Amat (Indonesia, €750,000)
- Gerrit Holtmann (Philippines, €700,000)
- Nguyen Xuan Son (Vietnam, €700,000)
