How much the greatest Romanian footballers would be worth if they were playing today. Impressive figures advanced by Artificial Intelligence
Romanian football has not produced a great player since Chivu and Mutu, considered the last two superstars of the country. Since the retirement of the two, our football has not shown its head in the world for a long time, until the recent appearance of Radu Drăgușin and Andrei Rațiu. But the most valuable Romanian players currently have a mountain to climb before they rise to the level of their predecessors.
Balaci, Dobrin and Hagi, Romania's great footballers. Photo The Truth/Wikimedia/Facebook
Just as a meeting with Brazil in the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup is part of the category “what if”, the idea of bringing Romania's great players up to date was also born. Therefore, “what if” Would Nicolae Dobrin, Ilie Balaci, Gică Hagi and other exponential footballers of the country be playing today? What market value would they have had and what transfer amounts would have been paid for them? Artificial Intelligence has given the answer, and the numbers are downright dizzying.
Gica Hagi,
In the top of the hypothetical values advanced by AI is Gheorghe Hagi, who would have been worth between 90 and 110 million euros if he had evolved nowadays. Total playmaker, team leader, author of brilliant goals and passes, with a major bonus for creativity and influence, Gică Hagi is compared to Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modrić in their prime.
In the second position, AI sees Nicolae Dobrin, a pure genius, a rare talent, who, if he were disciplined and protected “modernly”, at the current level of football's requirements, would be an international superstar. Its current value: 85-95 million euros. On the 3rd place, the Artificial Intelligence placed Adrian Mutu, quoted at 65 – 80 million €, seen as a complete, technical, decisive attacker, with a “killer” instinct, compared to Antoine Griezmann or Lautaro Martínez in current football.
In the same area as Mutu are located two other legendary players of Romania: Ilie Balaci, who would have been worth 60-70 million euros if he had been playing today, and Gică Popescu, valued at 65 million euros. The former is seen as an offensive engine with decisive passes and native intelligence who in modern football would be a superstar, while the latter is characterized as a leader whose specialties are safety and excellent passing of the ball from the back.
Romania all-time, current hypothetical values (4-3-3 system)
porter
Helmuth Duckadam
💰 €30 million
– Big match goalkeeper, huge mentality
defense
Dan Petrescu
💰 €40 million
– Complete defender, disciplined, modern, very suitable for the current pressing
Miodrag Belodedici
💰 €55 million
– Elegant, calm, clean exit with the ball, highly sought after profile today
Gica Popescu (c)
💰 €65 million
Absolute leader, strength, intelligence, he would be the central defender of a top team in the Champions League
Cristi Chivu
💰 €50 million
Versatile, technical, tactician, ideal for rear build
midfielders
Cornel Dinu
💰 45 – 50 million €
Defensive brain, excellent positioning
Ilie Balaci
💰 60 – 70 million €
Offensive engine, assists, intelligence
George Hagi
💰 100 – 110 million €
Total leader, creativity, unique executions
Strikers
Ilie Dumitrescu
💰 €45 million
Extremely impactful, decisive in tournaments, dangerous in wide spaces
Adrian Mutu
💰 70 – 80 million €
Complete striker, technique, instinct
Nicholas Dobrin
💰 85 – 95 million €
Pure genius, rare talent
Luxury reserves
Dorinel Munteanu – €30 million
Gabi Balint – €35 million
Anghel Iordănescu – €40 million
Emerich Jenei – €30 million
Who would be the viral star on social media today: Dobrin vs Hagi.
Nicolae Dobrin – The viral genius
Impact of social media: huge, thanks to his impossible dribbles, tactical “nonsense”, 1 vs 3, 1 vs 4 humiliations, passes from pure instinct, but also his rebellious and non-conformist style. According to the AI, every touch of the ball would have become a viral clip. He would be constantly compared to Ronaldinho or Neymar in their glory days.
Popularity estimate
TikTok: 50-70 million followers
Instagram: 40+ mil
Videos with 100M+ views frequently
Gică Hagi – The global king
Impact of social media: great, for his spectacular goals, “textbook” assists, charisma, decisive moments in big matches. AI appreciates that Hagi would have had fewer “circus” clips, but more iconic moments.
Estimated popularity:
Instagram: 35-45 million
YouTube highlights: highly shared
The most valuable Romanian footballers at the present time
1. Radu Drăguşin (Tottenham) – 22,000,000 euros
2. Andrei Raţiu (Rayo Vallecano) – 18,000,000 euros
3. Dennis Man (PSV) – 13,000,000 euros
4. Darius Olaru (FCSB) – 6,500,000 euros
5. Ionuț Radu (Celta Vigo) – 5,000,000 euros
6. Florinel Coman (Al Gharafa) – 5,000,000 euros
7. Daniel Bîrligea (FCSB) – 4,500,000 euros
8. Louis Munteanu (CFR Cluj) – 4,500,000 euros
9. Ştefan Târnovanu (FCSB) – 4,500,000 euros
10. Stefan Baiaram (U Craiova) – 4,500,000 euros
*according to Transfermarkt
