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European football consists of some of the biggest powerhouses, who acquire the services of some of the biggest footballing stars on the planet. Gone are the days when football stars would include only senior professionals. Several big clubs in world football have changed their philosophies.
Young U-23 footballers are being intensely used for first team-football as long as they have the required talent and abilities. With insane potential and terrific abilities at a very young age, some of the highest market values belong to these young footballers.
In football, goals win matches and forwards are the most assured way to get them. Forwards known for their offensive threats naturally fetch a premium price.
The football observatory body under CIES (International Center for Sports Studies) often determines the market value of footballers as part of their research.
CIES is an independent sports research organization based in Switzerland, and the market values they attach to footballers are as accurate as they can be.
Potential and age is taken into account for these valuations based on the CIES football observatory. As such, it's not surprising why the footballers in the following list have such high market values. Without further delay, let's take a closer look at them:
#10 Yeremy Pino - €80 million
Yeremy Pino first caught the headlines in the 2020-21 Europa League final while starting for Villareal against Manchester United. He joined the Spanish club in the summer of 2020 but was seen more as a prospect back then. After his performances, Pino became a regular starter for Villareal.
Despite just 19 years of age, the Spanish youngster has already appeared 20 times in the current season and has excited fans with his attacking display. With five goal contributions and some time left on his contract, teams will have to spend a fortune to acquire the Spanish right-winger.
#9 Moussa Diaby - €80 million
Moussa Diaby has been a stellar addition to Bayer Leverkusen at a very young age. The French left-winger is extremely fast and skillful and likes to take defenders on. The winger switched from PSG to get more game time and has done exactly that in the two-and-a-half seasons he has spent in Germany.
It is not surprising why Diaby has such a high potential transfer value. He has made 20 appearances for Leverkusen and has a stunning 15 goal contribution, with an almost equal split in goals and assists. Some European giants are already reportedly linked with Diaby, and it is to be seen what he does next summer.
#8 Kylian Mbappe - €80 million
What needs to be said about Kylian Mbappe that football fans don't already know! The French wonderkid grabbed all the headlines when he showed his ability at Monaco.
A major transfer to PSG happened where he has won every domestic honor but the UEFA Champions League continues to elude him. The French attacker is adept at playing anywhere across the front-three.
Mbappe has 22 goal contributions from 21 appearances so far this season for PSG. While his estimated transfer value should have been much higher, Mbappe has a bit more than six months left on his contract.
After the next 3 weeks, he could sign for free for any club after a pre-contract in January. That explains why his CIES market value is so low.
#7 Joao Felix - €100 million
The Portuguese wonderkid first showed his talents during his Benfica days. Atletico Madrid shocked the entire world when they paid a huge sum to sign him as a potential replacement for Antoine Griezmann.
Felix has not yet justified the transfer fee that was paid to him. Then again, part of Atletico's valuation was due to Felix's potential as well.
The Portuguese has had a slow start to the current campaign. He has made 12 appearances and has three goal contributions. When required, the creative playmaker can also play an advanced role and has a long time left on his contract.
There are reports that suggest Felix could soon be on the move due to the lack of progress under Diego Simeone. However, Atleti are not expected to recoup the kind of investment they made on him.
#6 Ferran Torres - €120 million
When Manchester City signed Ferran Torres from Valencia last season, it was considered a great bargain by many football fans. Their assessment was on point as Torres has lived up to his abilities for both club and country.
Torres may have been limited in his appearances for Manchester City, but he was a wonderful performer for Spain at Euro 2020.
Torres' main position is on the right-wing, but he has shown an appetite to play in several positions in attack. Pep Guardiola has frequently employed a false-nine in his preferred tactics, and Torres was used initially in that role.
Although Torres has made just seven appearances so far this season, it is clear that Manchester City see him as one for the future. However, the Spaniard wants more minutes and Barcelona have been linked with wanting to sign him.
#5 Jadon Sancho - €130 million
Manchester United finally managed to land their long-time target Jadon Sancho this summer for a significantly lesser price than anticipated. Sancho has had a really slow start, as was largely expected since he made the switch to an entirely different league.
But lately, he has found form and rhythm, resulting in the English winger getting more minutes.
Sancho can play well on both wings and is well-known for his mazy runs and dribbles. He has made 18 appearances and has just two goal contributions for Manchester United.
Slowly, Sancho is picking up pace as he gets adjusted to the demands of the Premier League and his performances have started to improve.
#4 Mason Greenwood - €140 million
Unlike the former name, Mason Greenwood is a Manchester United academy poster boy. The academy may have fallen a bit from its lofty standards, but Greenwood is a generational talent.
He has been prominent at Manchester United for so long that one often forgets that he turned 20 only a few days ago.
Greenwood's USP is his ambidextrous nature with both feet. His performances have received ovations from many greats, including Michael Owen.
Greenwood made a great start to the season with three goals in the first three games. Although he has gone off the boil in recent games, given his ability, it will not be long before fans can again witness Greenwood at his sublime best.
#3 Phil Foden - €150 million
It was quite evident from the U-17 World Cup in 2017 that Phil Foden is a generational talent. Although a creative playmaker by trade, Foden can effectively play just as well on the wings.
Despite his young age and a host of stars present in the Manchester City squad, Foden has become a trusted member of Pep Guardiola.
With his technical brilliance and impeccable vision, Foden freely rotates between wide positions and the central area in Guardiola's tactics.
Foden has already made 15 appearances for Manchester City in the current campaign. He has made five assists and scored as many goals, along with stellar displays when it comes to setting up chances and scoring from chances created by others.
#2 Vinicius Jr. - €150 million
Real Madrid fans wondered for a long time if they had made another error in judgment. Since the Los Blancos missed out on Neymar to Barcelona, the club from the Spanish capital have been on the lookout for talented Brazilian teenagers.
Vinicius Jr did not come cheap, but did not make an impact right away. Despite not setting the stage on fire in the past, the forward has been unbelievable so far this term.
Vinicius has been in fiery form for Real Madrid this season and has been the star of the offense so far. He has made 21 appearances this campaign and already has an incredible 19 goal contributions.
While Vinicius may have a high estimated transfer value, Real Madrid consider him irreplaceable at the moment and won't cash-in.
#1 Erling Haaland - €150 million
The Norwegian striker is arguably the most sought-after player in world football right now. He was long pursued by Chelsea, who were ultimately outpriced by the demands of Borussia Dortmund. Erling Haaland has an upcoming release clause that is likely to create the most intense bidding war for a footballer in recent history.
By Haaland's standards, he has had a slow start to the season due to his injury. Yet, the Norwegian has 19 goal contributions from just 12 appearances in the current season.
It remains to be seen where the Norwegian moves in the summer or if he decides to spend another season in Dortmund. One thing is for sure is that his suitors will be getting arguably the best out-and-out centre-forward for the next decade at least.
