According to the CIES Football Observatory exclusive algorithm, the transfer value of players in the English squad amounts to €751 million. This figures is over €500 million for four other teams: France (€697 million), Spain (€639 million), Germany (€601 million) and Belgium (€550 million). Issue number 153 of the Weekly Post presents the data for all nations.

Issue number 152 of the Weekly Post unveils the exclusive CIES Football Observatory list of the 100 big-5 league players with the highest values from a transfer fee perspective. Besides Lionel Messi, seven other footballers had on June 1st 2016 a transfer value of more than €100 million.

Issue number 151 of the Weekly Post ranks big-5 league clubs according to the average transfer cost per player fielded. Leicester City was crowned despite the third lowest transfer expenditure at English Premier League level (€2.7 million per player). Conversely, Newcastle United could not avoid relegation despite having on average played with the 8th costliest line-up (€7.9 million per player).

David Silva heads the CIES Football Observatory table of the best performing big-5 league attacking midfielders. Manchester City’s Spaniard outranks Mesut Özil (Arsenal) and Henrik Mkhitaryan (Dortmund). In the top three positions for forwards are Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovi? (Paris St-Germain) and Neymar (Barcelona). Issue number 150 of the Weekly Post presents the top 10 for both positions.

Issue number 149 the Weekly Post presents the best performing central midfielders of the big-5 league season. According to the exclusive CIES Football Observatory methodology, at the top three positions of the rankings for defensive midfielders are Arturo Vidal (Bayern), Xabi Alonso (Bayern) and Lucas Biglia (Lazio). Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham), Blaise Matuidi (Paris St-Germain) and?lkayGündo?an(Dortmund) head the box-to-box midfielder table.

Issue number 148 the Weekly Post highlights the best performing defenders of the 2015/16 season in the five major European leagues. According to the exclusive CIES Football Observatory statistical approach, at the top three positions of the centre back table are Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Thiago Silva (Paris St-Germain) andNicolásOtamendi (Manchester City). Filipe Luís (Atlético Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Bayern) and Dani Alves (Barcelone) head the full back rankings.