The level of hard work and research that goes into putting together the Football Manager video game series has led to some professional clubs seeking access to their player database.
The level of detail that goes into piecing together information on hundreds of thousands of players, managers and coaches from clubs across every continent has increased with every new version of the series and the latest edition, which saw its Beta version released on Thursday, is the biggest yet.
With the help of numerous researchers, Sports Interactive have produced in-depth statistics on squads across the globe - and their take on who is Leeds United’s most valuable player makes for an intriguing read.
We take a look at who comes out on top and it has to be said there are some surprising names near the top of the list with Daniel Farke’s squad.
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £0.8m
1. Sam Byram
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £0.8m | Getty Images
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £2.6m
2. Karl Darlow
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £2.6m | Stu Forster/Getty Images
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £6.2m
3. Illan Meslier
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £6.2m | Ed Sykes/Getty Images Photo: Ed Sykes/Getty Images
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £13.5m
4. Lukas Nmecha
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £13.5m | George Wood/Getty Images Photo: George Wood/Getty Images
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £14.0m
5. James Justin
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £14.0m | Nigel French/PA Wire
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £16.5m
6. Gabriel Gudmundsson
Football Manager 2026 transfer value: £16.5m | Getty Images