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Diamond geezers
Football clubs across the world are forever on the lookout for the next big thing. The most talented youngsters can increasingly be found in the hands of Europe’s elite, but there are a few exceptions in our slideshow counting down the 25 most valuable players aged 21 or under…
Figures supplied by Transfermarkt
21= Matteo Guendouzi, Arsenal (£31.5m+)
Plucked from the relatively obscure confines of the French second division last summer, Guendouzi has quickly become one of the most valuable young players around. The frizzy-haired midfielder made a fine start to his debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium, and although he flitted in and out of the team as the season wore on, Arsenal have high hopes for the 20-year-old.
According to reports, the Gunners don’t have the biggest transfer budget to work with this summer. Finding more gems like Guendouzi, who cost just £7m in July 2018, would serve them well.
21= Lucas Paqueta, Milan (£31.5m+)
Milan’s failure to finish in top four last term means they are facing yet another season outside of the Champions League. The seven-time European champions have now been absent from Europe’s premier competition since 2014, and they are now set to build a team around a core of young players in an attempt to re-join the top table.
Paqueta is perhaps their most promising outfielder, having turned in some impressive performances since moving to San Siro in January. The attacking midfielder is valued at around £31.5m by Transfermarkt – a similar figure to that which Milan paid Flamengo at the start of the year.
21= Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chelsea (£31.5m+)
Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea were not a natural fit, with the club’s supporters failing to warm to the man who was appointed Juventus manager earlier this week. One of their chief gripes concerned Sarri’s unwillingness to hand Hudson-Odoi meaningful first-team minutes for much of the season.
The winger eventually made his first Premier League start in April, and by the end of the campaign had become a regular fixture in Sarri’s side. Bayern Munich are still sniffing around a player who is out of contract in a year’s time.
21= Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crystal Palace (£31.5m+)
Wan-Bissaka is still a Crystal Palace player at the time of writing, but he's reportedly on the verge of signing for Manchester United in a £50m deal. According to Transfermarkt, the Red Devils are overpaying for the young right-back, who's made fewer than 50 senior appearances since turning professional.
United will hope that his value steadily rises in the coming years, and there's no doubt that Wan-Bissaka is a player of tremendous potential. Superb in one-versus-one defensive duels, it's rare to see an opposition winger get the better of him.
17= Rodrygo, Real Madrid (£36m+)
Eden Hazard isn’t the only wide attacker Real Madrid have snared this summer. Their deal to sign Rodrygo from Santos was actually agreed 12 months ago, but the Brazilian will only join up with his new team-mates next month after crossing the Atlantic for a £35.7m fee.
17= Nicolo Zaniolo, Roma (£36m+)
It’s been a turbulent few weeks for Roma, who have appointed a new manager, waved goodbye to long-serving midfielder Daniele de Rossi and, most recently, been forced to watch Francesco Totti walk away from his position as a director.
The departures of De Rossi and Totti represent a break from the past, and Roma’s attention is now very much focused on the future. Zaniolo could be a big part of that, having enjoyed a fantastic first season in the capital following his switch from Inter.
17= Leon Bailey, Bayer Leverkusen (£36m+)
Having repeatedly rejected Jamaica’s overtures in recent years, Bailey finally accepted a call-up from the country of his birth for this summer’s Gold Cup. Having finished as runners-up in the last two editions, the Reggae Boyz will hope that the presence in their side of one of the world’s highest valued youngsters will get them over the line.
Bailey stagnated a little in 2018/19 after bursting onto the scene the previous season, when he scored 12 goals in 34 games for Leverkusen. He’s still an incredibly talented forward who could be a transfer target for Europe’s biggest clubs this time next year.
17= Moise Kean, Juventus (£36m+)
When they acquired Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid last summer, Juventus committed to a win-now strategy; signing the Champions League’s record goalscorer boosted the club’s chances of claiming a third European Cup, and they had to focus their efforts on realising that ambition rather than building for the future.
14= Houssem Aouar, Lyon (£40.5m+)
Lyon are no strangers to producing gifted young players, with their excellent academy having blooded the likes of Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette and Samuel Umtiti in recent times. Aouar is one of the latest to emerge from the club’s ranks, with the inventive midfielder having enjoyed a superb season in 2018/19.
14= Declan Rice, West Ham (£40.5m+)
Having primarily been deployed as part of a back three by David Moyes in 2017/18, Rice spent last term as a holding midfielder in Manuel Pellegrini’s side. The West Ham academy product enjoyed a fantastic season in that role, earning a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award and his first England call-up.
The £25m Marseille paid for Dimitri Payet in January 2017 is West Ham’s record sale. Any suitors of Rice may have to pay close to double that fee to capture the former Republic of Ireland international.
14= Ibrahima Konate, RB Leipzig (£40.5m+)
Bayern Munich won another Bundesliga title in 2018/19, but it was RB Leipzig who ended the season with the division’s best defensive record. That was in large part down to the wonderful centre-back partnership between Dayot Upamecano and Konate, who will surely be rewarded with a maiden France call-up early next term.
The 20-year-old had only made 12 Ligue 2 appearances for Sochaux when he was snapped up by Leipzig in summer 2017. Arsenal are among the clubs keeping a close eye on Konate, who is worth upwards of £40m according to Transfermarkt.
13. Eder Militao, Real Madrid (£45m+)
Real Madrid have wasted little time in embarking on their latest spending spree, with Militao one of five new recruits secured by the middle of June. The Spanish giants parted with around £44.5m to bring the defender to the Santiago Bernabeu, despite the fact that he has only plied his trade in Europe for a single season.
The Brazilian excelled at Porto in 2018/19, playing 43 times and chipping in with five goals as Sergio Conceicao’s charges finished second in all three domestic competitions.
12. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Milan (£49m+)
You have to be a pretty special goalkeeping talent to make your league debut as a 16-year-old, particularly for a club of Milan’s stature. Yet Donnarumma immediately proved that he fitted the above description after making his first Serie A appearance in October 2015, before establishing himself as the Rossoneri’s No.1 under Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Last season was his fourth campaign as a regular starter at San Siro, but the heir to Gianluigi Buffon is still only 20 years old. It would probably take a bid of at least £50m for Milan to even consider selling the 6ft 5in shot-stopper.
9= Christian Pulisic, Chelsea (£54m+)
With Eden Hazard almost certain to leave for Real Madrid – a deal that was finalised earlier this month – Chelsea moved to acquire a replacement in January, acquiring Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for £58m.
The United States international slipped down the pecking order at Signal Iduna Park last term, largely due to the emergence of Jadon Sancho. The forward remains a tremendous prospect, though, and he will immediately become a key player at Stamford Bridge in 2019/20 following Hazard’s exit.
9= Federico Chiesa, Fiorentina (£54m+)
Older readers may think ‘Enrico’ when they hear the name ‘Chiesa’, but the former Italy international has been thrust into the shadows by the exploits of his son. Young Federico is the new name on everyone’s lips in Serie A, with Juventus having begun to flutter their eyelashes in the direction of the Fiorentina forward.
New Viola owner Rocco Commisso immediately endeard himself to the club’s fanbase by declaring that he wouldn’t even sell Chiesa – who is valued at around £54m by Transfermarket – for €100m.
9= Luka Jovic, Real Madrid (£54m+)
After hitting 25 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt last term, Jovic was always likely to be on the move this summer. Real Madrid ultimately won the race for the ex-Benfica frontman, paying £53.5m to beat off reported competition from Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona.
Jovic’s value could increase further if he makes a positive impact at the Santiago Bernabeu next term, with Real Madrid looking to get back on track following their disappointment of 2018/19.
7= Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid (£63m+)
Vinicius was by no means the first name on Real Madrid’s team sheet last season, but in making 18 La Liga appearances and four more in the Champions League, he was more involved than many expected following a move from Flamengo last summer.
Madrid spent to secure the teenager’s signature, and that could prove to be a bargain if Vinicius fulfils his extraordinary potential in the coming years. The Brazilian forward is already worth around £63m after just one season in the European game.
7= Joao Felix, Benfica (£63m+)
Portugal showed in the Nations League Finals that they will be a force to be reckoned with at next summer’s European Championship, with Felix one of several young talents available to Fernando Santos.
The forward scored 20 goals in 43 games for Benfica last term, a return which has seen Atletico Madrid line him up as a replacement for Barcelona-bound Antoine Griezmann. Transfermarkt value him at around £63m, but Atleti have reportedly submitted an offer of £113m, almost double that amount.
6. Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax (£67m+)
The most in-demand player in world football, De Ligt’s future remains unresolved over a month on from the end of Ajax’s season. Barcelona initially appeared to be in pole position, but their apparent reluctance to match the Dutchman’s wage demands has allowed PSG, Liverpool and Manchester United into the race.
4= Marcus Rashford, Manchester United (£72m+)
Rashford was criticised at times last season for his perceived failure to kick on and take his game to the next level, but such sentiments merely serve to show how much the Manchester United man raised expectations with his thrilling early performances at senior level.
The forward did shine during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s honeymoon period at Old Trafford, so much so that Barcelona were reported to be sniffing around. United are set to trigger a one-year extension in Rashford's contract and won’t sell him this summer, although they could expect to recoup over £72m if they changed their minds.
4= Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool (£72m+)
Liverpool enjoyed a brilliant season last time out, winning the club’s sixth Champions League and finishing in second place in the Premier League with a record points haul for a runner-up. Theirs was undoubtedly a success for the collective, but few contributed more to the cause than Alexander-Arnold.
The 20-year-old set a new Premier League record for the most assists by a defender, setting up 12 of his team-mates’ goals, and made 40 appearances in all competitions. There’s no chance of Liverpool selling the youngster, who would cost upwards of £72m according to Transfermarkt.
3. Kai Havertz, Bayer Leverkusen (£81m+)
Not content with simply becoming Bayer Leverkusen’s youngest ever Bundesliga debutant in 2016, Havertz later took the mantle of the club’s youngest ever goalscorer and, in 2018, became the youngster player to reach 50 appearances in the division.
Given that he’s been around for a while, it’s easy to forget that the midfielder, who has been likened to German great Michael Ballack, doesn’t turn 21 until next summer. Havertz is unlikely to be at the BayArena forever, and any suggestion that he is looking to seek pastures new would likely spark a significant bidding war.
2. Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund (£90m+)
Frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at Manchester City, Sancho quit the Premier League for the Bundesliga in 2017. The risk has paid off handsomely for the teenage winger, whose 12 goals and 14 assists helped Borussia Dortmund launch a sustained title tilt for the first time in years.
1. Kylian Mbappe, PSG (£180m+)
Mbappe is already one of the best players in the world, so it’s frightening to think just how good he could be by the time he reaches his peak. The 20-year-old followed up a successful World Cup campaign by being Ligue 1’s standout performer in 2018/19, scoring 33 goals in 29 appearances as PSG won the title at a canter.
The capital club’s failure in both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League meant it was a disappointing season overall, however, and Mbappe ended it by hinting that his future may lie elsewhere. It would surely take a world-record fee to prise such a precocious talent away from the Parc des Princes.
