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Barcelona's Pedri
Football training has trickled down to the grassroots levels all around the world and children are being groomed from a very young age. As a result, we are starting to see several teenagers breaking out onto the professional circuit.
It has come to the point where teenagers are performing pretty much on par with some of the best players in the world. Due to the fact that they have their entire career ahead of them, promising young players will cost a lot of money to sign.
Some of the top European teams have great youth academies and they are also youth-centric in their approach. Several teenagers have risen through the ranks and earned themselves professional contracts at a very young age.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most valuable 18-year-olds in the world.
(All values courtesy: Transfermarkt.com)
#5 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) - €45 million
Bayer Leverkusen has been renowned for having a great scouting system that has got them players like Dimitar Berbatov and Arturo Vidal. They have also been good at bringing in top talent from other Bundesliga youth setups as well.
Wirtz was poached from FC Koln's youth setup. Leverkusen were ready to sour their relationship with Koln but one could say that it was well worth it. Wirtz broke Nuri Sahin's record for being the youngest player to score in the Bundesliga at 17 years and 34 days.
Youssoufa Moukoko has subsequently broken the record but that's beside the point. Wirtz has gone onto become a mainstay in the Bayer Leverkusen lineup and is being touted as one of the best talents Germany has produced in recent years.
He scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 38 appearances across all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit in the 2020-21 season. Wirtz is currently valued at €45 million. He was voted Bayer Leverkusen's Player of the Season for 2020-21.
#4 Eduardo Camavinga (Stade Rennais) - €55 million
Eduardo Camaveda is an 18-year-old holding midfielder whose versatility and technical proficiency enables him to slot into any position in midfield. Camavinga's maturity is way beyond his age and is an excellent passer of the ball as well as a ball-carrier.
Camavinga has already been likened to Paul Pogba thanks to his dancing feet and elusive movements. His progressive nature with the ball at his feet and ability to navigate tight spaces make him a midfielder with a lot of flair.
The 18-year-old is currently being linked with Manchester United. One thing's for certain and it's that the young Frenchman won't come for cheap. However, he only has one season left on his contract with Rennes and so they could be forced to sell him this summer for a sum lower than his valuation.
In the 2020-21 season, from 39 appearances for Rennes across all competitions, he scored a goal and provided three assists from central midfield.
#3 Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) - €55 million
Borussia Dortmund's dynamic young midfielder Jude Bellingham was already turning heads when he was 16-years-old. He first made headlines whilst playing for Birmingham in their relegation struggles in the English championship.
Bellingham was already so good that he was bossing midfield battles in the UEFA Champions League just a year later for Borussia Dortmund. He has worked on his attacking game a lot in recent times and is gradually developing into a top quality no. 8.
Bellingham earned a call-up to the England national side for Euro 2020 and made three appearances off the bench for the Three Lions. In the 2020-21 season, Bellingham scored four goals and provided four assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for Dortmund. He is valued at €55 million.
#2 Ansu Fati (Barcelona) - €60 million
Ansu Fati was Barcelona's star man from the opening phase of the 2020-21 season. The Barcelona youngster was unfortunate to have been sidelined for the majority of the season after picking up a knee injury early in the season.
But he had shown flashes of brilliance in the short time that he featured for Barcelona this past season. Fati scored five goals and provided four assists in 10 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League last term.
The 18-year-old is Barcelona's prized possession and he is currently signed to the Catalans on a deal that runs until 2026. So even though he is valued at €60 million, there is no way Barcelona are going to part with him for that much. They will ask for a much higher amount.
#1 Pedri (Barcelona) - €80 million
18-year-old Pedri was arguably Spain's best midfielder at Euro 2020. Still a teenager, he was also a consistent starter for Barcelona across all competitions in the 2020-21 season. The young midfielder is already being compared to Barcelona greats like Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Despite not being a La Masia product, Pedri has all the qualities of a quintessential Barcelona midfielder. His deft touch, movement and ability to play accurate passes to his teammates make him an asset to any team he plays for.
He is also a relentless presence in midfield and has surprised everyone with his fitness levels. All these qualities combined with maturity beyond his years make him one of the best teenage footballers on the planet. It is then no surprise that he is the most valuable teenager in the world with an €80 million valuation.
Pedri was chosen as the Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2020. He was a key member of the Spanish side that made it to the semi-finals of the continental competition.
