5 most valuable 18-year-olds in the world
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.