Outperforming superstars like Ollie Watkins, the Brighton veteran’s efficiency proves that smart recruitment beats big spending as he delivers the Premier League’s most clinical return on investment.
When you think about Danny Welbeck this season, you may simply think he is an older player having a good season at Brighton, but if you were to ask Brighton fans, they may tell you that he is something along the lines of a club legend.
However, the numbers back up the potential England international recall. Welbeck has statistically emerged as the Premier League’s best-value attacking player this season.
According to Bally Bet, figures released show that, as far as value for money goes, Danny Welbeck (Brighton & Hove Albion) has the best value-for-money rating in the whole Premier League. With 14 goal contributions and a market value of £3,480,000, Welbeck’s contributions cost just £248,571 - the lowest in the ranking.
With two more games still to play, including against a Leeds side that he very much enjoys scoring against, Welbeck could rack up more than his 13 Premier League goals scored so far this season. His impact on the pitch has been nothing short of immeasurable for the Seagulls this season.
When Albion lost João Pedro last summer, there was going to need to be a step up for goal contributions from other members of the squad. Granted, Albion have suffered for the sale, being one of the lowest goal scorers in the league so far this season, but Welbeck has truly stepped up.
Everyone wonders with players at his 35 years of age whether they can continue year upon year, but firing home more than his 10 goals last season is a very impressive return.
Comparing his value for money to other players is still pretty crazy. For example, Ollie Watkins comes in at 10th place for attackers.
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), who has 14 goal contributions so far this season. With a value of £26,100,000, that works out to a £1,864,286 per contribution - the highest cost-per-contribution of any player in the top ten ranking.
The results show a clear divide between cost and efficiency in the Premier League, with mid-priced players delivering significantly better returns than some of the league’s most expensive stars.
While the biggest names still contribute well overall, their high market valuations mean they often provide lower value per output. The significance towards smarter recruitment rather than spending big money will continue to prove correct, despite the ongoing massive spending from clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea.
Market values are always a difficult gauge to go by, but free transfers like Welbeck struggle to come much better. Sometimes, it isn't about signing the biggest names for the most amount of money. Leeds have seen similar results since signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin this season, who many fans wrote off while he was at Everton.
The supposed ~£26 million for Ollie Watkins is most likely an undervalue, too.
Realistically, if a big club like Arsenal were to come calling again, you'd expect a departure to be closer to £60 million+, and to Villa fans that figure would be even higher. This further backs the point, however, that while he would be a good signing, is he the best value for money? Possibly not.