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A number of Premier League clubs are well-known for their youth academies. These setups have provided English teams with some great talents over the years.
Promoting players from their academies has been the culture for most clubs and it has worked out well for many. Manchester United's famous Class of 92 is the perfect example of why young footballers from academies should be given a thorough chance.
Premier League clubs love to promote their young players
There are plenty of benefits to promoting a young player from the club's own academy. One of them involves no prior commercial investment in the footballer. This is why English clubs have made enormous profits when selling their academy players.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the most profitable transfers that have come by selling an academy graduate in Premier League history.
Note: All transfer values are as per Transfermarkt
#5 Ben Chilwell
Born in Milton Keynes, Ben Chilwell joined Leicester City at the age of 12 in 2009. The full-back was impressive at a young age, having won the Academy Player of the Year with the Foxes in the 2014-15 season.
Since the 2016-17 season, Chilwell was more involved with the first team, getting the chance to prove his talent. With his attacking-minded approach, the English defender proved to be a very useful player on the left.
Impressed by his performances, Chelsea signed him in the 2020-21 season. The transfer helped Leicester City make a profit of £45.18 million. Since then, Chilwell has gone on to win the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
At the age of 11, Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined the Crystal Palace academy. The Englishman initially started out as a winger and signed a professional contract with the club in 2016.
Under then manager Frank de Boer, Wan-Bissaka realized his defensive abilities and eventually started playing as a full-back. It was under Roy Hodgson's management that the English right-back flourished into a reliable defender and gave impressive performances for the Eagles.
Manchester United signed Wan-Bissaka in the summer transfer window of the 2019-20 season. The transfer helped Palace make a profit of £49.50 million. Wan-Bissaka has lately struggled with his form in the league for United.
#3 Ben White
Ben White started his youth career with Southampton but was released by the Saints at the age of 16. He then went on to join Brighton & Hove Albion's academy.
The English defender had to go on to multiple loan spells at Newport County, Peterborough United and Leeds United to get more game-time. Eventually, White was pursued by Arsenal and the centre-back wasted little time in accepting their offer.
The 24-year old was signed by the Gunners at the start of the 2021-22 season. In the process, Brighton & Hove Albion made a profit of £52.65 million. White has turned out to be an amazing signing for Arsenal, having provided them with a lot of stability and security at the back.
#2 Raheem Sterling
Jamaica-born Raheem Sterling joined the Queens Park Rangers academy at the age of 10. He then signed for Liverpool's academy in 2010 with the consent of then-manager Rafael Benitez.
After two years, Sterling got into the first team and became the third-youngest player to play for the Reds. He turned into a deadly winger courtesy of his amazing pace and fine dribbling abilities. His impressive performances tempted Manchester City to sign him.
In the 2015-16 season, Sterling was signed by City after the player fell out with the Liverpool management. The transfer helped the Reds earn a profit of £57.33 million. Since then, Sterling has achieved plenty of success and has won the Premier League three times.
#1 Jack Grealish
Born in Birmingham, Jack Grealish joined Aston Villa at the age of six. After a loan spell at Notts County, the Englishman was given a regular chance to play for Villa.
Jack Grealish fought for the club despite being relegated to the Championship and played a key role in their promotion in the 2018-19 season. The attacking midfielder has since been very impressive with his nimble footwork, ball-carrying abilities and creativity in attack.
He scored six times and registered 10 assists last season with Aston Villa before signing for Manchester City in the 2021-22 campaign. The transfer helped Villa make a mammoth profit of £105.75 million. Since then, Grealish has somewhat struggled to adapt to life with the defending Premier League champions but is expected to turn it around soon.
