Scouting Players Research
Breakout Season or One-Season Wonder? The Players Who Jumped Most This Season
Published 2026-10-09 · updated 2026-11-13 · data: Sportmonks, season 2026/2027
The most expensive mistake in football recruitment is paying for one great season. These are the players whose Moneyball Score jumped by 15 or more from last season to this one, and the ones who fell as far after a great year. Scouting Players Research flags both beside every name.
The biggest jumps
| # | Player | Age | Position | Last season | This season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Frey Antwerp · BEL | 32 | CF | 18 | 59 |
| 2 | Weverton Grêmio · BRA | 38 | GK | 6 | 40 |
| 3 | Kaio César Corinthians · BRA | 22 | RWF | 24 | 56 |
| 4 | Alexander Isak Liverpool · ENG | 27 | CF | 31 | 61 |
| 5 | Jeffrey de Lange Olympique Marseille · FRA | 28 | GK | 32 | 62 |
| 6 | Alan Aguerre Central Cordoba SdE · ARG | 36 | GK | 9 | 39 |
| 7 | Jáminton Campaz Rosario Central · ARG | 26 | LWF | 33 | 62 |
| 8 | Facundo Sanguinetti Vélez Sarsfield · ARG | 25 | GK | 16 | 45 |
| 9 | Federico Redondo Elche · ESP | 23 | DMF | 23 | 51 |
| 10 | Thibaut Courtois Real Madrid · ESP | 34 | GK | 26 | 53 |
| 11 | Max O'Leary West Bromwich Albion · EFL | 30 | GK | 7 | 34 |
| 12 | Luciano Acosta Fluminense · BRA | 32 | AMF | 32 | 59 |
Down after a great season
| # | Player | Age | Position | Last season | This season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michy Batshuayi Abha · KSA | 33 | CF | 69 | 12 |
| 2 | Mamadou Thierno Barry Al Shabab · KSA | 21 | CB | 58 | 8 |
| 3 | Berat Djimsiti Al Diraiyah FC · KSA | 33 | CB | 68 | 23 |
| 4 | Donovan Léon Abha · KSA | 34 | GK | 52 | 9 |
| 5 | Matías Gallardo Instituto · ARG | 22 | AMF | 53 | 11 |
| 6 | Jelani Seedorf Telstar · NED | 21 | CF | 60 | 20 |
| 7 | Yannick Ferreira Eduardo ADO Den Haag · NED | 20 | CF | 54 | 15 |
| 8 | Franco Vázquez Belgrano · ARG | 37 | AMF | 66 | 27 |
Check before you pay
Every recommendation in Scouting carries this warning: a breakout season, a drop after a great one, or a star with no earlier top-five season to check against.
How the figures are made: Sportmonks' season statistics for every player in Europe's top five leagues, per 90 minutes and adjusted for league strength, regressed toward the average of the position while minutes are few, and ranked against players in the same position. The Moneyball Score weighs what each position asks for. Early in a season every figure moves; it is an estimate, not a verdict.
More analysis
- Arsenal vs Leeds United: Why Dominic Calvert-Lewin Is the Player to Watch
- The Best Wonderkids in Europe's Top Five Leagues, by the Numbers
- If Inter Sell Federico Dimarco: The Wing-Backs Who Play Most Like Him
- The Best XI in Europe's Top Five Leagues This Season, by Moneyball Score
- Hidden Gems: Top-Rated Players Valued Under €10 Million