Market Value of Indonesian U-23 Players, Who is the Most Expensive?

A number of U-23 national team players have high transfer values. Rizky Ridho and Nathan Tjoe-A-On are recorded as the most expensive.

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The silhouette of Indonesia's central defender and captain, Rizky Ridho, was seen in the Group A match of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup against Australia on Thursday (18/4/2024) at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.

According to the latest data from Transfermarkt, the total market price of all U-23 national team players reached IDR 83.43 billion. With a total of 23 players, the average U-23 national team player is worth IDR 3.62 billion.

If you look in more detail, there are two players whose market value reaches IDR 6 billion, namely the U-23 team captain, Rizky Ridho and naturalized player Nathan Tjoe-A-On. Rizky Ridho is also the most expensive player among the other U-23 players with a transfer value of IDR 6.95 billion.

Rizky Ridho is the most expensive player

The player who was positioned as a center-back experienced a rapid price increase in 2023 when moving from Persebaya to Persija. Although the transfer agreement happened as a free transfer, Ridho's market value at that time was around Rp 5.65 billion.

However, Persija does not need to redeem him with such a price because as of March 31, 2023, the contract of the man, who was born in Surabaya, has expired with Persebaya, the club that raised him. Looking back, on January 1, 2018, the 22-year-old player joined the Persebaya U-20 team.

Two years later, Ridho started wearing the uniform of the main Persebaya team on January 5 2020. In the 2021/2022 League 1 season with Persebaya, Ridho recorded 18 matches. The following season, Ridho made 19 appearances with the "Bajul Ijo" team, scoring three goals.

In addition, he has also defended Persebaya in the Menpora Cup 2021 and the President's Cup 2022. Together with Persebaya, Rizky Ridho has made a total of 43 appearances with a total playing time of 3,312 minutes.

With Persija, Rizky Riho is a mainstay defender. So far Ridho has recorded 24 matches with a record of one goal and one pass resulting in a goal (assist)..

Apart from his key appearances at domestic clubs, Ridho's market value was also influenced by his contribution to the national team. Since May 2021, Ridho has always been the main choice for the senior national team and has so far made 34 appearances.

He also strengthened Garuda Muda U-23 and became a strong backstop and captain with a total of 15 appearances. In the U-23 Asian Cup, he also performed well guarding the heart of Indonesia's defense even though it was marred by the red card he received in the semifinal match against Uzbekistan U-23.

Also read: Achievements of the U-23 National Team, Garuda Muda's Achievements Were Not Magic Overnight

Nathan Tjoe-A-On

Following in the footsteps of Rizky Ridho, Nathan Tjoe-A-On has become the second most expensive player in the U-23 team. Originally a left-back, this naturalized player made his debut with the U-23 team in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup.

Except for the match against Qatar, Nathan always played the full duration of every game played by Garuda Muda. Under Shin Tae-yong, he was positioned as a defensive midfielder, except in the last match against Iraq. In the competition for third place, he played as a center-back alongside Justin Hubner.

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The performance of Indonesian midfielder, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, mastering the ball in the Group A match of the 2024 Under-23 Asia Cup, on Sunday (21/4/2024), at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. However, SC Heerenveen only allowed Nathan to compete in the preliminary round.

Nathan's professional football career began in mid-2019 when he played for the main team of Exelsior Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. Nathan pursued his career at the club, making 57 appearances.

It is an English club, Swansea City, which spent IDR 6.08 billion to bring in Nathan in August 2023.

However, Swansea immediately loaned him to the Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen. In Heerenveen, Nathan has not become a first choice. So far, he has only played four times with a total playing time of only 15 minutes.

Also read: History and Achievements of the Indonesian U-23 Team in the Asian Cup

Ivar and Marselino

The next two players in the lineup of the most expensive players in the Indonesian young squad are Ivar Jenner and Marselino Ferdinan. Based on data from Transfermarkt, both of them have a market value of Rp 5.21 billion.

Ivar started playing soccer when he joined Ajax Youth in 2016. After that, he pursued his career mainly in junior teams with the Dutch club Utrecht from 2020 until now.

Currently, he is registered as a part of the Utrecht U-21 squad. Meanwhile, the man who was born in Utrecht 20 years ago obtained Indonesian citizenship on May 22, 2023.

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Marselino Ferdinan, an Indonesian winger, celebrated his second goal against Jordan in the final match of Group A in the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup on Sunday (21/4/2024) at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.

Although being among the players with a high value, that value reflects the market value. The price should be proven when there is a club interested in signing Ivar from Utrecht U-21. It is possible that the actual transfer fee may decrease the value.

With the same value as Ivar, Marcelino currently plays for KMSK Deinze, a second division club in Belgium, and has played a total of 17 minutes in three matches. Previously, this young player born in Jakarta was registered as a player for Persebaya.

In the U-23 team, Marselino has played 16 times since his debut in October 2021 and scored 6 goals. Meanwhile, in the senior national team, since January 27th, 2022, Marselino has played 21 times and scored three goals.

Also read: U-23 National Team Success, 3-4-3 Formation, and 2024 Olympic Hopes

Potential prices for U-23 team players

With a total market value of IDR 83.43 billion, the value of U-23 Indonesian national team players exceeds some of their Southeast Asian competitors. Compared to U-23 Thailand, U-23 Vietnam, and U-23 Malaysia, the value of Indonesian players is significantly higher.

The total value of Thailand's U-23 national team is at Rp 36.94 billion. Meanwhile, Vietnam's U-23 team is valued at Rp 37.98 billion, and Malaysia's U-23 team at Rp 36.50 billion. Only when the transfer values of all three teams are added together can they surpass Indonesia.

Although market values must be realized in transfer fees, the high market value of young Indonesian players appears to be a potential for Indonesian football to continue to improve.

When assessing the value of a player, several indicators, such as the league they play in, their contribution to the club and national team, as well as personal achievements, are taken into account.

Even though they have not succeeded in qualifying directly for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the young Indonesian national team still has the opportunity to enter the competition through the playoff round against Guinea from Africa. This match will be the last opportunity for Garuda Muda to appear again at the Olympics since 1956.

With the hope of qualifying, the popularity of football will continue to rise in the eyes of the world. This achievement will complete Indonesia's positive trend, which has significantly risen to rank 134 in FIFA rankings. This opportunity also has the potential to increase the market value of young Indonesian football players in the global football market. (LITBANG KOMPAS)

Also read: Expressing Appreciation, President Calls U-23 Team's Achievement Historic