The 24 most valuable EFL League One players - One from every club | OneFootball

Who is the most valuable player at each League One club? FLW has taken a look to find out

This season, League One is one of the most competitive divisions in the entire EFL.

Heading into December, only 10 points separated first from 19th, and whilst cynics attribute that to being the "weakest" the third tier has been, more optimistic fans feel that the competition stems from there being a lot of solid teams in the division this year.

Because of that, there are a lot of quality players across every side in the third tier, whether they be players who are on loan from sides in the Premier League or the Championship or established third-tier talents.

But who out of all of them is the most valuable?

Taking Transfermarkt's market value of every player in the third tier, Football League World has seen who the most valuable player in the division is. The only rule is that there can only be one player per team.

24 ? ? AFC Wimbledon — Matty Stevens (£352k)

Starting at the bottom, AFC Wimbledon's status as a club that has just made its way back to League One from the fourth tier through the play-offs doesn't put them in great standing to have a lot of players who are traditionally worth a lot.

However, what Johnnie Jackson's side may lack in value, it makes up for in heart, grit and determination, and the Dons' players will surely be increasing in value as the season goes on.

For now, though, Matty Stevens tops the pile, being valued at £352,000. The 27-year-old is an established League Two frontman who is currently in the midst of his best scoring season in the third tier, having never scored in League One before this year.

The first of the many loan players who will appear on this list, but unlike his other loan stars out of the Premier League, West Ham's Michael Forbes, who is currently on loan at Northampton Town, isn't too highly valued.

The 21-year-old struggled in his first loan move away last season, barely getting a sniff in the third tier with Bristol Rovers before a hamstring injury put paid to playing for Colchester United in the second half of 2024/25.

Now, he's finally getting a good run out with the Cobblers and has been a big part of one of the better backlines in the third tier this season, putting him in good standing for that value to increase come May.

22 ? ? Bradford City — Josh Neufville (£440k)

Not only does Bradford City's Josh Neufville share the same current market value as Michael Forbes, but he is also tied at the top of the Bantams ranks alongside striker Steven Humphrys and Charlton Athletic loanee Tom McIntyre.

Neufville has built his value up through the non-league system to now in League One, however, and at 24, is likely to continue that growth in the coming years.

After playing every game in AFC Wimbledon's promotion campaign last season, Neufville made the move to fellow newly-promoted side Bradford, and Graham Alexander has managed to unlock a better version of the darting wing-back.

The Bantams have enjoyed a brilliant start to life back in League One, and the 24-year-old has been an integral part of it.

21 ? ? Doncaster Rovers — Matty Pearson (£527k)

With close to 200 Championship appearances and a League One promotion under his belt, it's no surprise that Matty Pearson is Doncaster Rovers' most valuable player, as the 32-year-old has a wealth of experience.

Grant McCan's side enjoyed a perfect start to the campaign, which was then followed by an almighty slide down the table. Now, they're looking to remain steady in mid-table, and Pearson will be a big part of ensuring that happens.

However, with this being the third newly promoted side in the bottom four, it's clear that the squad values of the former League Two sides aren't as high as their third-tier rivals, and the calibre of loan signings hasn't stood out, either.

Stockport County are said to have one of the best squads in the third tier; therefore, it may come as a big surprise that they rank 20th in this list.

Ultimately, their most valuable player, and arguably the most valuable player in the entire league in Ollie Norwood, doesn't have a great market value due to his age.

Additionally, Lewis Bate's recent injury issues have seen his value drop, and he gives way to Derby County loanee Ben Osborn, who is playing in League One for the first time in his career this season after a combined 352 appearances across the Premier League and the Championship.

He may have had some injury problems himself over the past few weeks, but there's no doubting that Dave Challinor's side is more dangerous with him in it.

Fin Burns is a product of the Manchester City academy, and, given how highly-rated those players tend to be, there's no surprise that the centre-back on loan at Reading has the highest market value in the Royals' squad.

After being a key part of the Stevenage back line, which conceded just 46 times across the 2023/24 campaign, the 22-year-old didn't get much of a look-in in the Championship with Hull City the following year, which will have dampened his value a little.

Burns may not be getting into the City squad anytime soon, but he has an opportunity this season to prove himself as one of the most valuable defenders in the league. As it happens, though, there are a lot of teams that have players who are worth more than him.

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Given the amount of quality which has passed through Peterborough United's squad in recent years, there may be some frustration at seeing a player worth less than the £1 million mark be touted as the man with the most market value in the current Posh squad.

That's not to say that Archie Collins isn't one of the more consistent midfielders in the division, having played at least 40 games in each of his three full years at the level, and is well on his way to doing so in his fourth, too.

The 26-year-old may not be as exciting as the likes of Kwame Poku, Ephron Mason-Clarke or Harrison Burrows, but he's still good enough to warrant the best value tag at The Western Holmes Stadium.

17 ? ? Wycombe Wanderers - Sam Bell (879K)

The first player to have a market value of €1 million, according to Transfermarkt (or £879,000), is Wycombe Wanderers' Sam Bell.

The Bristol City loanee has taken to life at Wycombe well, especially since Michael Duff came in, leading the scoring charge most weeks under the new manager.

After a few years of being on the fringes of action at his boyhood club, the 23-year-old is starting to show that he is Championship standard, and Wycombe will be hoping that this good form under Duff can fire them back to the second tier.

Perhaps then, they'd have the funds available to match his market value and make the move permanent.

16 ? ? Stevenage - Chem Campbell (879k)

Chem Campbell broke through in the Wolves squad in the Premier League as a teenager, so it's understandable that, despite a few years struggling in League One, his market value is still high.

Saying that, his final loan away from Molineux last season at Reading finally saw him make a sustained run in the third tier, and he showed enough promise for Stevenage to take him on this summer.

Alex Revell's side has prided itself on strong defensive numbers over the past few seasons, but going forward, Campbell has had a steady start, and at just 22, has the potential to up that value in the coming years.

15 ? ? Burton Albion — Brad Collins (879k)

Another loanee, Brad Collins, has statistically been one of the best goalkeepers in League One this season, and has been an established top-end third-tier star with the potential to be a Championship regular for a few years now.

The Chelsea academy man, now on loan from Coventry City, has been a big reason why a Burton Albion side, which hasn't been defensively strong this season, has still kept five clean sheets so far.

The 28-year-old is clearly playing with plenty of confidence, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's back playing regularly in the Championship once his loan spell with the Brewers is up.