Inside a valuation: Idrissa Gueye
From the model's €2.2M starting point to €796k, one input at a time, and where that lands against an observed €500k.
Built from Published SHAP output for the served Model A (reports/explainability); the player was in its training data.10 chapters
Observed €500kModel A €796k (served, in-sample)Premier League · Defensive Midfield

Idrissa
Gueye
Image: FootyLogos · image credits
Chapter 01: The valuation
Idrissa Gueye: 36, defensive midfield in Premier League. Transfermarkt's valuation is €500k, in the Emerging tier. This story follows how Model A arrives at its own figure, one input at a time.
Chapter 02: Where every estimate starts
Before it looks at this player, Model A sits at €2.2M: its average output across the players it was trained on. Every player's journey starts here. Each input then multiplies the estimate up or down.
Chapter 03: Age
Age (36.7 yrs) lowers the estimate ×0.08: from €2.2M to €183k.
Across all modelled players this input moves Model A's estimate by ×1.60 on average, in one direction or the other. Here it moves it more than usual.
Chapter 04: League
League (Premier League, England) raises the estimate ×3.15: from €183k to €577k.
Across all modelled players this input moves Model A's estimate by ×1.96 on average, in one direction or the other. Here it moves it more than usual.
Chapter 05: Appearances
Appearances (65) raises the estimate ×1.46: from €577k to €841k.
Across all modelled players this input moves Model A's estimate by ×1.28 on average, in one direction or the other. Here it moves it more than usual.
Chapter 06: Days since last match
Days since last match (39) lowers the estimate ×0.85: from €841k to €718k.
Across all modelled players this input moves Model A's estimate by ×1.11 on average, in one direction or the other. Here it moves it more than usual.
Chapter 07: European-cup minute share
European-cup minute share (0%) lowers the estimate ×0.86: from €718k to €619k.
Across all modelled players this input moves Model A's estimate by ×1.20 on average, in one direction or the other. Here it moves it less than usual.
Chapter 08: Everything else
The remaining 15 inputs are individually small. Together they raise the estimate ×1.29, to €796k.
Chapter 09: The estimate
After all 20 inputs, Model A says €796k. Transfermarkt says €500k. The residual, log(observed) − log(estimate), is −0.464: the observed value is below the estimate, so the model over-predicts by ×1.59.
The served model was trained on this player, so this is an in-sample figure; on unseen players a typical miss is ×1.50.
Chapter 10: What this is not
SHAP describes the model's arithmetic for these inputs. It is not a price, a scouting judgement or a statement about what causes value, and the order of the steps is by size, not sequence.
The same record, with Model B and the player's traits, is in the dossier.
Every Model A valuation starts at €2.2M, the model's average output over the players it was trained on (log 14.592).