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Young players are one of the biggest talking points in football when it comes to the transfer market. With the transfer market inflating drastically in recent years, young players now fetch a hefty price even though they have not played regularly in the senior team.
Clubs are ready to bet on these players' futures and sign them before their transfer value goes through the roof.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the two young players with the highest market value in football right now. But both of them did not have a huge market value at the beginning of their careers. With the help of Transfermarkt, we take a look at five players who had the highest market value at the start of their senior careers:
#5 Amad Diallo - €15 million
Manchester United acquired teenage sensation Amad Diallo from Atalanta in January 2021 for a sum of €21 million which could rise on to €40 million with add-ons.
Graduating from Atalanta's academy, Diallo made his senior debut for the club at the mere age of 17. However, he played only three matches as a substitute with a total of 26 minutes on the field. Diallo still managed to score a goal on his debut for the club.
His performances for the under-19 team attracted a lot of attention. The winger registered 13 goals and 15 assists in just 46 matches, prompting United to shell out such a big sum for him.
So far Diallo has made eight senior appearances for United's senior team, scoring against AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League. The Ivorian is yet to play this season due to injury but if he continues to impress on the field, he certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
#4 Joao Pedro - €20 million
Joao Pedro enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season in the Championship with Watford, establishing himself among the key players at the club in the absence of the injured Troy Deeney.
Graduating from the Fluminese academy, Pedro made his debut for the side in 2019 when he was just 17 and scored two goals during his first senior appearance. He had an impressive debut campaign for the club, wherein he scored seven goals and registered two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.
This attracted attention from a host of clubs in Europe but it was Watford who managed to sign the teenager in January 2020.
While Pedro barely played for the club that season, he was brilliant in the Championship for the Hornets last term. His pace and trickery troubled opposition defenders. He played 38 league games, scoring nine and assisting two goals. His performances played a key part in helping Watford earn promotion back to the Premier League.
Pedro will be hoping to put in impressive performances in the Premier League this season as Watford look to avoid the drop.
#3 Callum Hudson-Odoi - €25 million
Only a handful of Chelsea youngsters broke into the first-team before Frank Lampard's appointment as manager and Callum Hudson-Odoi was arguably the best of the lot.
He had a brilliant breakthrough campaign during the 2018-19 season under Maurizio Sarri. Being just 18 at the time, the youngster managed to rack up 24 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, registering five goals and five assists. His ability to get past defenders and beat them in one-on-one situations was an absolute treat to watch.
His performances attracted interest from Bayern Munich, who were reportedly willing to pay nearly €60 million for him. However, Chelsea rejected any approach and the winger penned a new deal the following season.
Hudson-Odoi has not been able to cement his place in the starting eleven and has struggled with inconsistent form and injuries since his debut season. However, his recent performances have been largely impressive and it looks like he could definitely get more game time this term.
#2 Gavi - €25 million
The latest sensation to come out of La Masia, Gavi has had a breakthrough campaign for Barcelona this season and has been absolutely brilliant in the middle of the park.
His skillful movement, combined with his composure, dribbling and energy on the field, has proved to be a huge plus point in an otherwise disappointing season for the Catalans.
The Spaniard's performances this season earned him a call-up to the national side by Luis Enrique. At 17, Gavi became the youngest player to play for Spain and started both the semi-final and final against Italy and France respectively in the UEFA Nations League. The youngster's mature performances for club and country have even drawn comparisons to that of Barcelona legend Xavi.
Gavi's performances have certainly shown that he is ready to become an integral part of the Blaugrana midfield in the coming years.
#1 Ansu Fati - €25 million
Ansu Fati is arguably the most exciting graduate to have emerged from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy in recent years. The teenager has been sensational for Barcelona since making his breakthrough in the 2019-20 season.
Making his debut at the age of just 16, Fati had an incredible campaign for the Catalan giants, making 33 appearances and registering eight goals and an assist. He set numerous records during his breakthrough campaign at the club, becoming Barcelona's youngest La Liga scorer (16y 304d) and the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history (17y 40d).
Fati made a blistering start to the 2020-21 campaign, registering a staggering five goals and four assists in just 10 appearances. However, a knee injury meant that Fati's progress was halted and the youngster was ruled out for the entirety of the campaign.
Although Fati didn't play for the majority of last season, his stellar exploits awed everyone at Barcelona. As such, he was handed the No.10 shirt after Lionel Messi's departure.
Fati has made a brilliant return from injury this season and in five appearances, the 18-year-old has registered two goals and an assist to his name. His performances have shown that he is ready to be the club's new talisman and shoulder the burden of Barcelona's famed No. 10 jersey.
The forward recently signed a new six-year contract at the club, with his release clause set at €1 billion.
