French Ligue 2 Focus: Transfer Market Value Insights on France's second tier division

Key Soccerlytics Insights:

• Valenciennes has the highest average player value APV in France's Ligue 2 at 0.65M Euros, which is 67.8% higher than the league's average of of 0.39M Euros
• Stade Brest and FC Sochaux (both 0.61M Euros) have the second and third highest APVs in the league
• Valenciennes (0.65M, highest APV), Sochaux (0.56M, 4th highest APV) and AC Ajaccio (0.45M, 7th highest APV) are the 3 clubs relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2013/2014 season, and their APV is in the top half of the league as expected
• US Orleans has the lowest APV in the league at 0.12M Euros, which is about 69% below the league average

French Ligue 2 Average Player Value Index (Market Value data from Transfermarkt.com)

• As expected, newly promoted clubs in Ligue 2 (US Orleans and Gazelec Ajaccio) have experienced the highest increase in squad Transfer Market Value (TMV) in Ligue 2 (see chart below) over the past 12 months
• Of the Ligue 2 clubs that were in the league last year, Creteil (0.31M Euro APV), Troyes AC (0.6M Euro APV) and Arles (0.37M Euro APV), have grown the most in value over the past year, while AS Nancy (0.51M Euros), Le Havre (0.36M Euro) and Tours FC (0.29M Euros) have seen the most drastic drop in TMV
• Ligue 2 clubs that were in Ligue 1 last year have seen the most drastic loss in transfer market value. Valenciennes' TMV dropped 55.3%, Ajaccio 66.5% and Sochaux 69.7% (see chart below)
• These losses are driven in large-part by the departure of some of their most valuable assets following relegation, such as Lindsay Rose who left Valenciennes for Olympique Lyonnais

French Ligue 2 Squad Transfer Market Value % increase(decrease) since October 1st 2013

5 Ligue 2 Potential prospects for Europe's Big Leagues

• Opa Nguette (Valenciennes): 20 year old French Youth International attacking midfielder/striker valued at 1.75M Euros
• Loris Nery (Valenciennes): 23 year old versatile French Youth International left-back (can play across back line) valued at 1.5M Euros
• Jerome Roussillon (Sochaux): 21 year old French Youth International left-back currently valued at 1.5M Euros
• Cedric Hountondji (LB Chateauroux on loan from Rennes): 20 year old French Youth International centre-back valued at 1.5M Euros
• Remi Walter (AS Nancy): 19 year old French Youth International defensive midfielder currently valued at 1.5M Euros

10 most highly valued players in Ligue 2 (Market Value Data from Transfermarkt.com)