Pascal Groß Is Showing Why Football Value Does Not Expire at 30
At 35, Pascal Groß is proving that declining resale value does not necessarily mean declining football value.
Pascal Groß is 35, but his start to the 2026/27 season has looked nothing like the final stage of a career. The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder was named Premier League Player of the Month for September after producing two goals and three assists during the month, extending a start in which he recorded three goals and three assists across his first five Premier League appearances. His story highlights an important distinction in football analysis: market value and football value are not the same thing. Age naturally reduces resale potential, but it does not automatically remove a player's ability to influence matches.
Groß started Brighton's opening five league matches and played all 450 available minutes. His strongest performances included a goal and two assists against Coventry and another goal and assist against Arsenal, showing that Brighton are not simply using him for experience or leadership. He remains a significant part of their competitive output. That is particularly notable after his January 2026 return from Borussia Dortmund. Brighton brought Groß back because of the technical quality, intelligence and experience that had already made him one of the most influential players in the club's Premier League history.
Groß represents almost the opposite of the typical young football asset. A 21-year-old can command enormous value because clubs are purchasing current ability, development potential and future resale value. At 35, Groß offers far less of that financial upside, yet his immediate contribution can still exceed that of many younger and more expensive players. That is why ARES separates performance strength from market strength. A player's financial value can decline while his ability to help a club win matches remains high. The gap between those two measures can itself reveal something important about the player.
- Published
- 2026-10-07
- Category
- Performance Spotlight
- Author
- ARES Intelligence Desk
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