The 50 most valuable teenagers in world football: Garnacho, Gavi, Lavia…
Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal and Leeds United starlets are among the most highly-valued teenagers in world football.
England international Jude Bellingham, who has recently completed a €103million transfer to Real Madrid, was previously the most valuable teenager in football – but he turned 20 in the summer.
That leaves Barcelona academy graduate Gavi rated as the most valuable teenager in the sport. Last season the 19-year-old midfielder played a key role in the La Liga title won under Xavi. He signed a new contract with a €1billion release clause that ties down his future at the Camp Nou until 2026.
Gavi won Tuttosport’s prestigious Golden Boy award last year. The Spain international doesn’t turn 20 until next August but already has almost 100 appearances for Barcelona’s first team.
Given that experience, and the fact that he’s locked in at Barcelona on a long-term deal, it ought to be no surprise that his transfer valuation is almost double that of any other teenager in football.
His Barcelona team-mate Alejandro Balde is the second-most highly-valued teenager. The 19-year-old also came up through Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy and has already established his place as Jordi Alba’s long-term successor at left-back.
Balde’s current deal expires next summer but according to reports, there’s an agreement in place to extend his contract until 2027.
Making up the rest of the top-end of the list are Benfica’s highly-rated 19-year-old centre-back Antonio Silva, Atalanta’s 19-year-old defender Giorgio Scalvini and Chelsea’s summer signing Romeo Lavia.
Other names that catch the eye are Brighton’s Republic of Ireland international striker Evan Ferguson, Manchester United prodigy Alejandro Garnacho, Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Brighton’s breakthrough star Julio Enciso.
We’ve taken the valuations from transfer specialists Transfermarkt.
It is worth taking some of their figures with a pinch of salt, as some look a little on the low side – for example Palmeiras’ 16-year-old forward Endrick is only valued at €25million, despite already having put pen to paper on a deal worth up to €70million with Real Madrid. It’s also worth noting that Brighton reportedly value Ferguson at over three times his transfer value listed here.
Here’s how the top 50 list runs through in full.
1. Gavi (18, Barcelona) – €90million
2. Alejandro Balde (19, Barcelona) – €50million
3. Antonio Silva (19, Benfica) – €45million
4. Giorgio Scalvini (19, Atalanta) – €40million
5. Vitor Roque (18, Athletico Paranaense, deal agreed with Barcelona) – €32million
6. Romeo Lavia (19, Chelsea) – €32million
7. Evan Ferguson (18, Brighton) – €30million
8. Youssoufa Moukoko (18, Borussia Dortmund) – €30million
9. Endrick (16, Palmeiras – deal agreed with Real Madrid) – €25million
10. Lamine Yamal (16, Barcelona) – €25million
11. Alejandro Garnacho (19, Manchester United) – €25million
12. Julio Enciso (19, Brighton) – €22million
13. Warren Zaire-Emery (17, PSG) – €20million
14. Mathys Tel (18, Bayern Munich) – €20million
15. Rico Lewis (18, Manchester City) – €20million
16. Eliesse Ben Seghir (18, Monaco) – €18million
17. Wilfried Gnonto (19, Leeds United) – €18million
18. Arthur Vermeeren (18, Royal Antwerp) – €17million
19. Ivan Fresneda (18, Real Valladolid) – €15million
20. Desire Doue (18, Rennes) – €15million
21. Arda Guler (19, Real Madrid) – €15million
22. Andre Santos (19, Nottingham Forest – loan from Chelsea) – €15million
23. Milos Kerkez (19, AZ Alkmaar) – €15million
24. Carney Chukwuemeka (19, Chelsea) – €15million
25. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (18, Borussia Dortmund) – €14million
26. Stefan Bajcetic (18, Liverpool) – €13million
27. Angelo (18, Santos) – €13million
28. Bilal El Khannouss (19, Genk) – €13million
29. Facundo Buonanotte (18, Brighton) – €12million
30. Sael Kumbedi (18, Lyon) – €12million
31. Mohamed-Ali Cho (19, Real Sociedad) – €12million
32. Jhon Duran (19, Aston Villa) – €12million
33. Charlie Patino (19, Swansea – loan from Arsenal) – €12million
34. Ousmane Diomande (19, Sporting Lisbon) – €10million
35. Oscar Gloukh (19, Red Bull Salzburg) – €10million
36. Leny Yoro (17, Lille) – €10million
37. Habib Diarra (19, Strasbourg) – €10million
38. Callum Doyle (19, Leicester City – on loan from Man City) – €10million
39. Giovani (19, Al-Sadd SC) – €10million
40. Carlos Forbs (19, Ajax) – €10million
41. Lewis Hall (18, Newcastle – on loan from Chelsea) – €10million
42. Joao Neves (18, Benfica) – €10million
43. Zeno Debast (19, Anderlecht) – €10million
44. Robert Renan (19, Zenit St. Petersburg) – €9million
45. Hugo Larsson (19, Eintracht Frankfurt) – €9million
46. Matheus Franca (19, Crystal Palace) – €9million
47. Matheus Nascimento (19, Botafogo) – €9million
48. Lesley Ugochukwu (19, Rennes) – €9million
49. Andreas Schjelderup (19, Benfica) – €9million
50. Gabriel Slonina (19, K.A.S. Eupen – on loan from Chelsea) – €9million
READ NEXT: 10 players who have increased the most in value since last summer: Saka, Osimhen…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 25 most expensive transfers of all time?