5 most valuable players aged 21 and under in football right now - January 2022
May it be domestic leagues or international tournaments, there is no denying that the new generation is taking over the world of football. A few years down the line, some of these names may replace the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the debate for being the greatest.
Top clubs are looking to spend big
The transfer window is the most important outlet for a football team’s fund management. Good signings can have a big impact, like taking a team’s status from mid-table to title challengers. Everyone wants to sign the next big thing, and there is no dearth of valuable youngsters in the world at the moment.
The players on this list come with a massive price tag but are often well worth the money. The biggest teams in Europe are racing to sign young stars and mold their future. After Jadon Sancho’s move to Manchester United last summer, which other young phenomenon will be next to put pen to paper?
Take a look at the five most expensive players in the world aged 21 and below.
#5 Pedri - €80 million
19-year-old Pedri has been one of Barcelona’s best signings in recent years. While many transfers have arguably backfired on Blaugrana, Pedri has proven to be quite the deal. The midfielder joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2019 for an initial fee that was around €5 million.
The young Spaniard is currently valued at €80 million, but this number will potentially shoot up based on the caliber he possesses. Much to the dismay of fans, Pedri has been sidelined due to injury and featured in only the first two league matches this season.
He was one of Spain’s standout performers in the Euros, playing every single minute of all six of Spain’s games. He also won the 'Best Young Player of the Tournament' award.
Pedri is named 2021’s Golden Boy ✨ https://t.co/ZORntsAHB0
Pedri also won the 2021 Golden Boy award. He is the first Barcelona player since Leo Messi to win the coveted prize.
Barcelona have been a shadow of their former selves ever since Leo Messi departed last summer for Paris Saint-Germain. The Blaugrana are sixth in the league and 17 points behind leaders and rivals Real Madrid.
#4 Jadon Sancho - €85 million
Jadon Sancho made the much-anticipated move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund at the start of the season. Sancho spent the early part of his career at Manchester City’s youth team before moving to Germany in 2017. The 21-year-old was one of Dortmund’s brightest players but has struggled at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s third-most expensive signing at €85 million, Sancho has managed just one goal in 16 appearances this season in the Premier League. He was one of many big-name signings that United made at the start of the campaign alongside Ronaldo and Raphael Varane.
BREAKING: Man Utd confirm Jadon Sancho's £73m transfer but Dortmund chief blasts club over money thesun.co.uk/sport/football… https://t.co/AAth24AIEj
After a transfer window that gave fans so much hope, Manchester United have had a shocking Premier League campaign. Sancho is unfortunately yet to live up to the hefty price tag. However, the Englishman has bags of talent and is sure to find his footing in due time with the Red Devils.