Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Garnacho and Man City kid most valuable young players with Brighton above Chelsea
Today at 05:49 AM
Lamine Yamal has been named the most valuable under-21 footballer in the world.
The Barcelona winger, 17, is one of four players worth over €100million [£83.3m] by the CIES Football Observatory.
He is also the youngest player on the list, having only turned 17 the day before the Euro 2024 final in July.
Yamalwon the Kopa Trophy at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony as he was recognised as the best under-21 player in the world.
The teenager now tops CIES’ list with an estimated transfer value of €180.9m [£150.7m].
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho is one place behind Yamal at €114.8m [£95.6m], with Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery third with a value of €109m [£90.8m].
The final player with a valuation over €100m is Manchester City’s Brazilian winger Savinho, who is worth €101m [£84.1m] according to the study.
His City team-mate Rico Lewis is also on the list as the most valuable full-back aged under-21, with a price tag of €87.2m [£72.6m].
As for clubs, Brighton top the list by having the most players in the top 100 at six.
Evan Ferguson, Carlos Baleba, Yankuba Minteh, Jack Hinshelwood, Julio Enciso and Brajan Gruda are all included.
Their values range from Ferguson at £51.1m to summer signing Gruda at £18m.
The Seagulls edge out Chelsea, PSG and Barcelona, who each have four players in the list.
Top 20 most valuable under-21 players
According to CIES Football Observatory
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona – €180.9million (£150.7m)
- Alejandro Garnacho – Man United – €114.8m (£95.6m)
- Warren Zaire-Emery – PSG – €109m (£90.8m)
- Savinho – Man City – €101m (£84.1m)
- Joao Neves – Benfica – €99.8m (£83.2m)
- Endrick – Real Madrid – €97.7m (£81.4m)
- Rico Lewis – Man City – €87.2m (£72.6m)
- Arda Guler – Real Madrid – €76.7m (£63.9m)
- Kobbie Mainoo – Man United – €74.8m (£62.4m)
- Kenan Yildiz – Juventus – €72.3m (£60.3m)
- Lucas Beraldo – PSG – €70.3m (£58.6m)
- Jhon Duran – Aston Villa – €69.7m (£58.1m)
- Giorgio Scalvini – Atalanta – €65.1m (£54.3m)
- Evan Ferguson – Brighton – €61.4m (£51.2m)
- Mathys Tel – Bayern Munich – €58.1m (£48.4m)
- Facundo Buonanotte – Leicester – €58.1m (£48.4m)
- Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – Borussia Dortmund – €58.1m (£48.4m)
- Leny Yoro – Man United – €54.5m (£45.4m)
- Aleksandar Pavlovic – Bayern Munich – €54.1m (£45.1m)
- Carlos Baleba – Brighton – €52.1m (£43.4m)
Amongst Chelsea’s quartet are two of the four under-18 players to make the top 100.
Teenagers Kendry Paez and Estevao both still play in South America for Independiente del Valle and Palmeiras, respectively.
However, they will join up with the Blues once they turn 18 having already agreed moves to Stamford Bridge.
Yamal and his Barca team-mate Pau Cubarsi are the other two 17-year-olds on the list.
