Ranking the 5 players with the highest market value at the start of their careers
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.
(Metro):#Amad #Diallo reveals he is poised to return to Manchester United training after injury setback : The youngster will be available again soon... .. #TrendsSpy newsoneplace.com/21361692105/am… https://t.co/QeeegjW9AR
#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.
On João Pedro's potential impact...
🎙🇧🇷 CR: “João Pedro is a very interesting young player. Of course he will have some good chances to show his qualities.” https://t.co/6tfgAskpKJ
Pedro will be hoping to put in impressive performances in the Premier League this season as Watford look to avoid the drop.