5 most valuable England U-21 players - January 2022

#3 Jude Bellingham - €75M

Bellingham has been a star at Borussia Dortmund

Jude Bellingham maybe 19, but he is already a star in the Bundesliga. Bellingham had big things destined for him when he broke into the Birmingham City side as a mere teenager. Clubs like Manchester United were after him, but Bellingham decided to switch to Borussia Dortmund for guaranteed minutes.

The decision has paid for him in gold as Bellingham has developed immensely. A highly versatile footballer, Bellingham is adept at playing in several positions. He has mostly played as a central midfielder and has been outstanding in the current season.

Bellingham has made 28 appearances in all competitions, mainly as a starter. He has racked up 10 assists already and has also scored four goals.

He will undoubtedly attract interest from clubs across Europe in the upcoming summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see the step he chooses for the next phase of his career.

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#2 Phil Foden - €85M

Foden has been a revelation at the Etihad

Manchester City have never had a shortage of financial riches since the takeover took place two decades ago. The club hasn't been shy about spending mega amounts in the transfer window to get the best talent. But Foden is an academy graduate and arguably the biggest to have made it big at the Etihad.

He first burst onto the scene with his performances in the U-17 World Cup and has never looked back since then. He has developed immensely under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola and is a first team regular now. Foden has played in both central midfield and in wider positions. His technical brilliance and excellent vision have resulted in Foden becoming an integral part of the squad.

Foden is having an outstanding season, especially in the Premier League. Guardiola has fielded him 22 times on the pitch in which Foden has scored seven goals and made six assists.

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#1 Jadon Sancho - €85M

Sancho is yet to prove his worth

Jadon Sancho was long pursued by Manchester United, who managed to acquire him in the summer of 2021. When one observes Sancho's performances in the Bundesliga, it's understandable why United were so keen on him.

Sancho switched to Borussia Dortmund at a young age and quickly became a star at the German club. His biggest strengths are his ability to play on both wings and the direct approach to beating opponents. Sancho has had a slow start to his Manchester United career and is yet to justify the high sum that the club paid to acquire him.

Sancho has appeared 22 times for Manchester United, but nearly half have been from the bench. His mere two goals haven't been good enough, and it can indeed be claimed that the expectations from him are higher. Both Sancho and the Manchester United faithful will be hoping that he can improve his performances in the future.