Scouting Players Research
Breakout Season or One-Season Wonder? The Players Who Jumped Most This Season
Published 2026-10-09 · updated 2026-10-17 · 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 | Jeffrey de Lange Olympique Marseille · FRA | 28 | GK | 32 | 61 |
| 2 | Alex Meret Napoli · ITA | 29 | GK | 33 | 53 |
| 3 | Niclas Füllkrug Werder Bremen · GER | 33 | CF | 53 | 72 |
| 4 | Maarten Vandevoordt RB Leipzig · GER | 24 | GK | 43 | 62 |
| 5 | Phillip Tietz FSV Mainz 05 · GER | 29 | CF | 57 | 76 |
| 6 | Filip Jørgensen Strasbourg · FRA | 24 | GK | 39 | 58 |
| 7 | Berke Özer LOSC Lille · FRA | 26 | GK | 34 | 52 |
| 8 | Lukas Hradecky Monaco · FRA | 36 | GK | 42 | 57 |
Down after a great season
| # | Player | Age | Position | Last season | This season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matías Dituro Elche · ESP | 39 | GK | 74 | 43 |
| 2 | Sergio Herrera Osasuna · ESP | 33 | GK | 62 | 36 |
| 3 | Robin Roefs Sunderland · ENG | 23 | GK | 67 | 42 |
| 4 | Djordje Petrovic AFC Bournemouth · ENG | 27 | GK | 56 | 32 |
| 5 | Justin Bijlow Genoa · ITA | 28 | GK | 63 | 39 |
| 6 | Oliver Baumann TSG Hoffenheim · GER | 36 | GK | 58 | 35 |
| 7 | Daniel Heuer Fernandes Hamburger SV · GER | 33 | GK | 66 | 44 |
| 8 | David de Gea Fiorentina · ITA | 35 | GK | 48 | 26 |
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