Ipswich Town’s most valuable player revealed – it isn’t Leif Davis | OneFootball

The Tractor Boys could have the Championship’s most valuable player on their hands, according to new research.

New Ipswich Town signing Sindre Walle Egeli has been declared as the club’s most valuable player in a new study.

The Norwegian has barely got his foot through the door at Portman Road, but has already been established as the Tractor Boys’ most valuable asset, according to research group CIES Football Observatory.

As listed on Transfermarkt, many may expect dynamic left-back Leif Davis to take the honour, following interest from Premier League sides like Nottingham Forest.

But CIES have Egeli as one of the league’s most valuable players at present.

Sindre Walle Egeli listed as Ipswich Town’s most valuable player

The number crunchers at CIES have assigned a ‘fair value’ price to players from each team in 67 leagues worldwide, including the Championship, based on a “statistical model” that assigns values on a “scientific basis”, taking into account the predicted financial capacity of the most likely buyer, with a 10 per cent leeway in either direction.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona hotshot Lamine Yamal tops the global chart, with the 18-year-old valued at an eye-watering €354m-€411m.

But more surprising is Egeli’s rating, coming in at €26-€31m/£22.6-27m, making him the Tractor Boys’ most valuable player.

That news may bring relief to Portman Road, considering they broke the Championship transfer record to bring the Norway international in back in August, dropping a substantial £17.5m to bring the forward in from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

Egeli has barely had chance to introduce himself to Kieran McKenna’s side, so whether that value holds remains to be seen, but he arrives with a strong record for his former side, notching 11 goals and 10 assists in 43 senior outings, having only just turned 19.

Egeli is deemed one of the most valuable players in the Championship

Not only is the Norwegian rated Ipswich’s most valuable player, but he also comes in as one of the most expensive assets in the entire division, in theory.

His €26m-€31m ranking puts him at the top of the second-tier pile, with only Leicester City’s Victor Kristiansen (€23-€27m) climbing into the same bracket.

It also ranks him higher than two Premier League teams’ currently highest valued players, although admittedly, both are recently promoted sides.

Leeds United are represented by Wilfried Gnonto (€20m-€23m), while Burnley have Florentino Luis (€21m-€25m).

Ipswich Town fans may have expected to see Leif Davis’ name

As his Transfermarkt value (€22m/£19.1m) suggests, many Tractor Boys supporters may have expected Davis to take his top spot.

Now renowned as an all-action creative left-back, he collected 21 assists in his last Championship campaign two seasons ago, and managed four goal involvements in the Premier League, as part of a struggling side.

Still only 25 years old, he is a highly attractive option for prospective buyers, with news of Forest’s bid from journalist Ben Jacobs accompanied by the reveal that Ipswich had already turned down offers from Premier League clubs at that stage.

Nevertheless, with the high fee paid, his international career with Norway’s U21s already on a roll and six years Davis’ junior, it is Egeli who CIES rank as the Tractor Boys’ most valuable.