FC Augsburg's Current Market Value and Potential Successor Identification

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Football stars' hidden value: It's not all about on-pitch performance

Let's face it, when we talk about the world's top players like the lads from FC Augsburg, we can't just gauge their worth based on their skills on the field. Enter transfermarkt.de, the portal that assigns market values to these athletes, but there's more to it than that. We also need to factor in their digital performance, like clicks and followers.

Take, for example, the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. He's not only a football giant, but he's also a social media beast, boasting a whopping 665 million followers on Instagram — that's number one, folks, ahead of the one and only Messi (505 million followers). Names like Selena Gomez (420 million) and Kim Kardashian (356 million) often pop up when discussing who's on top, but have you ever seen them kicking a ball?

The FC Augsburg players trail far behind these global celebrities when it comes to their following. However, while their market values might not reach the millions just yet, it's important to note that the French central defender Chrislain Matsima has shown a significant increase in market value thanks to his sporting performance. A year ago, he was valued at a modest 7 million euros, but today? A staggering 22 million euros, three times more than before, and he ranks far ahead of his FC Augsburg peers. Alexis Claude-Maurice experienced a similar boost, climbing from 3.5 to 12 million euros. And goalkeeper Finn Dahmen had a rollercoaster ride, with his market value dropping from 5 to 2.5 million euros after being benched, only to skyrocket to 9 million euros after a superb second half of the season with 685 minutes without conceding a goal.

Samuel Essende leads the pack among FC Augsburg professionals

Surprisingly, the market value superstars like Claude-Maurice and Matsima didn't see the greatest growth among FC Augsburg professionals last season, but that title goes to Samuel Essende. Since the season began, the striker has gained a whopping 43,780 fans. The increase in followers for Augsburg players as a whole is only 59,630 new fans. Although Essende scored seven league goals, it's his unique appearance and personality that captivate his audience. With ever-changing hair colors, ranging from red to blond, and that sparkling tooth adorned with diamonds, the 27-year-old grabs attention wherever he goes.

While Essende's market value didn't see a significant increase, he did manage to crack the top 5 amongst FC Augsburg players with 101,000 followers. Only Frank Onyeka (123,000), Mergim Berisha (162,000), and Marius Wolf (approximately 203,000 followers) have more fans, but their fame is mostly due to their previous stints at Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Changing clubs doesn't always guarantee a flood of new followers. Consider Ermedin Demirovic, who shares 101,000 followers with Essende, despite posting nearly 100 more posts on his page. The VfB, on the other hand, shot to fame with another striker: the injured El Bilal Touré, who picked up 1,010,000 new fans last season, the most in the league, leaving Bayern's Michael Olise in the dust with at least 398,140 new followers.

FC Augsburg's market value stalwart Chrislain Matsima currently boasts a relatively modest 15,000 Instagram followers. A summer transfer might not only bring in valuable millions for FC Augsburg but also a fresh batch of fans.

Bottom Line: On-pitch performance undoubtedly remains the primary factor in determining a footballer's market value, but a strong digital presence can give these athletes an edge by making them more attractive to a worldwide audience.

Football has more aspects than just on-field performance to evaluate a player's worth; the digital domain, such as social media followers and clicks, plays a significant role too. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo's 665 million Instagram followers outshine even Messi's 505 million, demonstrating the power of a robust online presence.
Sometimes it's not the superstars who see the greatest growth in followers; within FC Augsburg, sampling Essende, the striker with the unique appearance and charismatic personality, gained a remarkable 43,780 fans, outpacing the team's total followers' increase of 59,630 new fans, despite only scoring seven league goals.