Kylian Mbappé leads with an €85m gain, three of the top four increases came at German clubs, and five of the top 15 loans were completed during the 2025/26 campaign
Loan moves are often used to give young players regular football, rebuild careers or create opportunities that are unavailable at their parent clubs. For some players, however, a temporary move has transformed their market value in a matter of months.
Winsportsonline ranked the 15 footballers with the largest absolute increases in market value while playing on loan. The comparison uses each player’s value at the beginning and end of the loan spell, with the ranking determined by the difference between the two.
Kylian Mbappé stands well clear at the top. His value rose from €35 million to €120 million during his move from Monaco to PSG in 2017/18, an increase of €85 million. Luka Jović follows with a €58 million rise at Eintracht Frankfurt, while Achraf Hakimi gained €49 million at Borussia Dortmund and Luka Vušković €48 million at Hamburger SV. Three of those top four gains therefore came during loans at German clubs.
Key Takeaways:
- Kylian Mbappé recorded the largest increase, gaining €85 million in market value during his loan from Monaco to PSG
- Luka Jović ranks second with a €58 million rise, followed by Achraf Hakimi at €49 million and Luka Vušković at €48 million
- Three of the four largest increases came during loans at German clubs: Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger
- The 15 players increased their combined market value from €144.2 million to €697 million, a total gain of €552.8 million
- Five of the 15 biggest increases were completed during the previous 2025/26 campaign and produced a combined €152 million gain
- Ten of the 15 players began their loans valued at €5 million or less. Together, they added €339.8 million in market value
- Real Madrid and Atalanta are the only parent clubs with two players in the top 15
- Napoli are the only destination club with two players in the ranking
The Footballers with the Largest Market Value Gains while Playing on Loan
German Clubs Hosted Three of the Four Biggest Gains
Mbappé’s spell at PSG is the only interruption to a striking German presence at the top of the ranking. Jović added €58 million at Eintracht Frankfurt, Hakimi gained €49 million at Borussia Dortmund and Vušković increased by €48 million at Hamburger SV. Those three loans generated €155 million in additional market value between them, equivalent to 28% of the €552.8 million gained across the entire top 15.
The starting points make the first two particularly notable. Jović arrived at Eintracht Frankfurt valued at €2 million and left the loan worth €60 million, while Hakimi went to Dortmund at €5 million and finished at €54 million. Vušković began from a higher €12 million base but still reached €60 million during the 2025/26 campaign. No other country places more than one loan club among the top four.
Five of the Top 15 Loans Ended in 2025/26
One-third of the ranking comes from players whose loan spells ended during the 2025/26 campaign. Vušković leads the group with his €48 million increase at Hamburger SV, followed by Palestra’s €31.5 million gain at Cagliari. Two Napoli loanees follow, with Højlund increasing his market value by €25 million and Alisson Santos by €24 million during his six-month spell, while Romero gained €23.5 million at Espanyol.
Those five players generated €152 million in combined gains, or 27.5% of the total increase across the top 15. The group also stretches from Vušković in fourth place to Romero in 15th, showing that the most recent campaign contributed across the ranking rather than through a single exceptional case. Alisson’s spell is listed as 2026/26 because it began and ended within the same calendar year, while Romero’s 2024/26 entry covers his longer stay at Espanyol.
Real Madrid and Atalanta Lead the Parent Clubs
Only Real Madrid and Atalanta have two players among the 15 parent clubs represented. Madrid sent Hakimi to Borussia Dortmund and Ødegaard to Real Sociedad, with their values increasing by €49 million and €30 million respectively. Their combined €79 million gain is the largest total produced by two players belonging to the same parent club.
Atalanta are represented by Palestra, whose value rose by €31.5 million at Cagliari, and Kulusevski, who gained €24 million at Parma, for a combined €55.5 million. Atalanta also appear on the receiving side of another successful loan: Duván Zapata added €25 million while playing there after joining from Sampdoria. They are therefore the only club in the ranking to feature both as a parent club and as a loan destination.
Napoli Are the Only Destination With Two Players
The 15 players were spread across 14 loan destinations, with Napoli the only club appearing twice. Both entries are recent: Højlund’s value climbed from €35 million to €60 million, while Alisson Santos moved from €4 million to €28 million. Together, the two Napoli spells produced €49 million in additional market value.
Every other destination appears once. They range from PSG at the top of the ranking to Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV in Germany, as well as Girona, Alaves, Cagliari, Real Sociedad, Reims, Atalanta, Lyon, Parma and Espanyol. The spread suggests that the largest gains have not been concentrated around a small group of traditional loan destinations, despite the strong German presence among the leading positions.