5 most valuable exports from Sporting CP's youth academy
Young players coming out of the Sporting CP academy, have broken ground quite often in Europe's top five leagues over the last two decades.
Their scouting, development and transfer strategy have been incredible in recent years, courtesy of which they have earned millions in the process.
The Primeira Liga side hone young individuals before selling them off for massive profits.
In the list of current players sold by them, some are fairly young while others are slightly past their best, albeit their current market value is still relatively high.
On that note, let's take a look at five Sporting CP academy's most valuable exports right now. (July 2022)
#5 Joao Palhinha- €25 million
Sporting CP's most recent export, Joao Palhinha was recently announced as a new Fulham player as the club secured promotion to the Premier League for the upcoming campaign.
Palhinha joined Sporting's youth academy in 2012 and has since worked his way up to the first team in 2016. Following a couple of productive loan moves (Moreirense 2015-16, Belenenses 2016-17, Braga 2018-20) across the country, he became a starter for the club and produced wonderful displays in midfield last season.
He also looked a calm and composed figure in the Portugal national team during last year's European Championship. Hence, it was a surprise to see that Palhinha, who currently has a market value of £21.35 million, was sold for just £20 million to Fulham this summer.
Regardless, the Cottagers have landed a great player who will look to build upon his steady progress in arguably the most competitive domestic league in the world.
#4 Eric Dier- €28 million
One of the few non-Portuguese exports out of Sporting CP, Eric Dier has been playing at the English top flight for nearly a decade.
Although Tottenham Hotspur have not won a trophy during this period, Dier & co have made tremendous progress in ensuring the club compete in the Champions League regularly.
While he has been moved across multiple positions by different managers over the years, Dier has been a part of the starting XI under all of them.
Sporting CP academy product Eric Dier visited the club’s academy on Wednesday.
The England international watched a training session, spoke to young players about the importance of the club and met up with U17 coach José João, Eric’s coach when he was in the under 10’s. https://t.co/1taeqWnMrT
Currently a versatile defensive option for Antonio Conte, Dier played a key role in helping Spurs finish in the top four last season. The Englishman, who is still only 28 years old, has a market value of €28 million.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo- €30 million
Cristiano Ronaldo is easily the most popular Sporting CP academy product. He has registered five goals and six assists for the Portuguese side in 31 appearances. He came into the limelight while playing for them against Manchester United in a friendly encounter nearly two decades ago.
That performance was enough to convince Sir Alex Ferguson to bring the dazzling winger to Old Trafford. Ronaldo helped the club win multiple titles, post which, he sealed a then world-record move to Real Madrid. After adding to his success in the Spanish capital, the versatile attacker joined Juventus before returning to Old Trafford last summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to finish his football career with his boyhood club Sporting CP. 👋 👋 https://t.co/LBTDJC4X00
While he is now reportedly looking to exit the club, Ronaldo was the club's top goal-scorer last season with 24 strikes (in 38 games) to his name across competitions. The 37-year-old star still has a market value of €30 million, thereby proving his quality despite his aging body.
#2 Nuno Mendes- €40 million
Nuno Mendes was officially announced as Paris Saint-Germain's first signing this summer after his loan move was made permanent at the end of last campaign.
The left-back, who has monstrous pace and innate technical abilities, left Sporting CP last summer. The 20-year-old footballer joined the Portuguese side as a teenager and eventually made the senior squad in 2019. For the next two seasons, he made 47 appearances for the club and contributed to four goals in the process.
Mendes, who is the youngest player on this list, currently has a market value of €40 million. This value is bound to increase as he develops in the French capital alongside the best players in the world.
#1 Rafael Leao- €70 million
Rafael Leao was one of the success stories in Serie A last season as the Portuguese winger scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 34 league appearances.
These performances helped AC Milan lift the Serie A title for the first time in over a decade. But few remember that Leao is a Sporting CP academy product, albeit he only made five appearances for the senior team.
While the Portuguese club did not earn anything when they sold him on a free transfer to LOSC Lille in 2019, he has now come good in Serie A.
Leao currently has a market value of €70 million and is one of the hottest properties in Italian football at the moment. The 23-year-old winger has been a man on a mission since he mutually terminated his contract with his boyhood club three years ago.