Football INDEX: Former Manchester United man worth a look in

Football INDEX is the world’s first football stock market where you can buy and sell shares in footballers with real money. Football INDEX offers fans a chance to bet on the future success of football players compared to the short-lived outcome of betting on football results.  

Intrigued by what Football INDEX has to offer, but unsure whether to gamble your money? Football INDEX offer new customers a 7-day risk free period where they will refund any deposits made within the first seven days of the first deposit, up to a total of £500. Think of it as a trial period where you will effectively have up to £500 to play with during your first week of trading.  

Still undecided which footballers to invest your money in? Football INDEX even provides users with a handy tool to help you make informed decisions. Share prices tend to fluctuate, but they aren’t just determined by player performance. Share prices can also increase based on the media attention a player receives on any given day of trading.  

With the January transfer window edging towards closing, you can bet teams across the continent will strive to wrap up last minute deals before next week’s deadline. We’re therefore focusing on a number of potential movers and those worth investing in with our five to buy on Football INDEX… 

BUY – ROQUE MESA (SWANSEA) 

The magnificently mustached midfielder is widely expected to return to Spain before the close of the transfer window on the back of a disappointing six months with Swansea City. Sevilla are believed to be leading the race for Roque Mesa, who was considered one of the finest in his position in Spain prior to his move to south Wales last summer. 

As rumours of a January switch to Seville do the rounds, a buy price of £0.72 per share on Football INDEX is too hard to turn down. If Mesa can rediscover the form that made him such a key figure in the Las Palmas setup, the 28-year-old could well prove to be a shrewd investment. 

BUY – NANI (LAZIO) 

In Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo’s absence, Nani, along with Felipe Anderson, were charged with leading the Lazio attack in their 3-0 win over Udinese in midweek. The experienced Portuguese winger has struggled for game time following his summer arrival, but has still chipped in with three goals and two assists. 

Indeed, of the 346 players to have had a direct hand in five goals this season, Nani is doing so more frequently (every 39.4 minutes) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. It remains to be seen in what capacity he’ll feature against AC Milan on Sunday, but with a buy price at £0.81 per share on Football INDEX, the 31-year-old could be a handy pick up. 

BUY – JOAO MARIO (INTER) 

As his move to West Ham edges closer, it’s surprising to see Joao Mario’s buy price on Football INDEX so low. While he failed to make an impact at Inter, the Portuguese midfielder will be a handy acquisition for the Hammers, providing a further creative outlet from deep. 

Mario didn’t become a bad player overnight and despite a lack of game time, he’s providing an assist every 182.7 minutes in Serie A this season; of those to register 500 or more minutes, only Gaston Ramirez (178) is adding an assist more frequently. The 25-year-old will likely come in as a starter for David Moyes’ side and it’s crucial to capitalise on his low buy price of £0.92 per share before that rises. 

BUY – RAFINHA (INTER) 

While Mario’s time at Inter is drawing to a close, Rafinha’s is just beginning after his move to the Italian giant this week. As a result, his buy price currently sits at £1.25 per share on Football INDEX, but that can be expected to steadily increase over the coming weeks as he forces his way into the Inter XI. 

The 24-year-old has made just one competitive appearance this season, that coming as a late sub in Barcelona's loss to Espanyol last week, yet he has the attacking quality to shake Inter out of their current slump. His ability to play any number of positions in midfield and attack should ease the creative burden on Ivan Perisic, Borja Valero and Antonio Candreva, who have each stagnated of late. 

BUY – KEVIN VOLLAND (BAYER LEVERKUSEN) 

Bayer Leverkusen returned to winning ways in stunning fashion last time out as they smashed Hoffenheim 4-1 to move up to second in the Bundesliga. They’ll be confident of putting another three points on the board this weekend when they welcome Mainz 05 to the BayArena. 

Mainz 05 are one of two teams yet to win an away league game this season and have gained just four points from nine outings. Bayer Leverkusen should win again on Sunday and with Kevin Volland in fine form, it would be worth investing in the forward as soon as possible. The 25-year-old has scored 10 league goals this season, seven of which have come at home. With a buy price of just £0.93 on Football INDEX, be sure to buy into the Volland hype.