In world football, youth is no longer just a promise of potential – it’s an investment. With every dazzling dribble, pinpoint pass, and thunderous strike, young talents across the globe are catching the eyes of scouts, coaches, and investors alike. From the sun-kissed streets of Barcelona to the frozen fields of Manchester, a new generation of footballing prodigies is emerging, ready to rewrite the future of the game.

As these young talents rise to prominence, they’re also ascending the financial ladder, with their market value surging at a time when football has evolved into not just a sport, but a booming business as well. Thanks to the folks at CIES, we take a closer look at the most valuable players under the age of 21, and it’s clear that the future of football is not just bright – it’s rife with unexploited talent and astronomical costs.

So, who are the teenage sensations demanding astronomical fees, and who could soon be the face of world football? Let’s dive into the next wave of superstars, each one a jewel in the crown of their club’s future and rival clubs’ next hole in their wallet.

10 Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)

Transfer value: £60.27m

Since the 90s gave way to the noughties, Italian football has never quite been the same. In the pre-commercialisation era, they ruled Europe, with Channel 4’s Football Italia making the league a mainstay on English TV. During this time, Italian clubs amassed 13 European trophies, six world-record transfers, and produced six Ballon d’Or winners. However, the rise of the Premier League, combined with the soon-to-be-unfolding Calciopoli scandal, would halt Italy’s progress in the sport.

Clearly, as reflected in the list of the most valuable under-21 players, Italy’s future in club football still seems a long way from the glory of its past. While Kenan Yildiz has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in world football, he remains the only player from Serie A in the top 10. So far, since making the switch after 10 years in Bayern Munich’s academy, the Turkish international has played 41 times for the Turin-based team and scored five times. He’s still just 19 years old, but the future of the Old Lady rests almost solely upon his shoulders.

9 Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)

Transfer value: £62.36m

Long before Chelsea and Arsenal’s academies were digging up the next Premier League treasure, Manchester United’s Carrington was the envy of not just the country, but the continent and globe. They boast the likes of Nobby Stiles, George Best, and Sir Bobby Charlton in their greatest-ever academy XI, and the latest to try to make headway after graduating from the same clockwork-like youth system is Kobbie Mainoo.

To say he has made waves since his fast-track pass from Carrington to the first-team would be putting it lightly. After a standout Man of the Match performance in the FA Cup final, where the 19-year-old dominated a midfield shared by Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne to help United claim their record-extending16th Challenge Cup, many dubbed the summer of 2024 as the era of ‘Mainoo Mania’, as he would go on to become Declan Rice’s midfield partner as England reached the Euro 2024. Surprisingly, however, there’s another United player that ranks more valuable than him, as you’ll find out later.

8 Arda Guler (Real Madrid)

Transfer value: £63.94m

Arda Guler is Turkish football culture personified — chaotic, slightly crazy, but absolutely incredible to watch. The attacking midfielder, who has already played 11 times for the reigning Champions League and La Liga winners early into the 2024/25 campaign at the time of writing, is also one of the highest-paid young footballers in the world, and for good reason.

Injuries and the sheer quality of the players ahead of him meant that the creative midfielder had to wait patiently for his chance last term. Currently, however, with Real Madrid grappling with a squad full of leaders but lacking followers, his understated role in midfield could be the key to getting the continent’s powerhouse club back on track – if they recognise the value his transfer price so suggests.

7 Rico Lewis (Manchester City)

Transfer value: £72.7m

At 19, to be a regular in Pep Guardiola’s stacked Manchester City squad takes some doing. Despite progressing through the ranks as a defender, the Spaniard often allows Rico Lewis to move infield to perform the inverted full-back, or even deputise for Rodri as a defensive midfielder sometimes. And, judging from his displays, the world is the Englishman’s oyster.

After breaking into the first team during the 2022/23 season, Lewis is now featuring consistently for Guardiola’s giants. His first senior league goal in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace in December 2023. Nowadays, he’s preferred over the magnificent Kyle Walker, whose legs are starting to wilt. And, because of that, one can only imagine his current value of £72.7m will continue to accelerate in coming weeks, months, and years.

6 Endrick (Real Madrid)

Transfer value: £81.45m

For clubs aiming to dethrone Real Madrid as the dominant force in the Champions League, this list presents them a sobering realisation to face. Not only do they still have seasoned veterans like Luka Modric and David Alaba, along with three of the best players in the world—Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior—but they also boast three under-21 players among the most valuable on the planet.

Although they may appear to be at a crossroads at the start of the 2024/25 season, their wealth of talent means it’s only a matter of time before they rediscover their edge. At the heart of their youthful transformation, as the club shifts towards a “new blood” philosophy, is Endrick. Arriving at the same time as Mbappe, the 18-year-old is so mature and composed, even the £50 million fee for him does not seem too steep.

From scoring potential Puskas Award contenders aged 15 to becoming the fourth-youngest player to represent Brazil’s senior team, the teenage superstar defies logic. He’s already scored his first goal for the Galacticos since moving — and it definitely will not be the last.

5 Joao Neves (PSG)

Transfer value: £83.2m

Paris Saint-Germain are embarking on a new era this season, which is drastically different to their former philosophies. Previously, they had gone down the ‘superstar’ route, looking to build an exciting team on paper, but one that never clicked. With Kylian Mbappe, who was one of their highest-paid players since the takeover, they are hoping to build a young side full of potential.

Joao Neves epitomises that, and he joined the club in the summer of 2024 for £60 million. The Portuguese midfielder is a workhorse in a nutshell, especially after excelling for Benfica and his nation last campaign. At just 20 years old, his new club might have to be patient to see all that glitters is gold when it comes to the youngster, but waiting times will, in all likelihood, prove worth it after they spent £23.2m below his valuation to acquire his services.

4 Savinho (Manchester City)

Transfer value: £84.2m

When Savinho made the move to Manchester City over the summer, many were unaware of last season’s Girona star, and after a few months working his way into Guadiola’s first-team reckoning, that is still very much the case. On the surface, he’s a typical Brazilian winger: a good dribbler, an explosive runner, and a perfect ennabler for others to grab the headlines, like Erling Haaland.

However, the jury is still out on whether he will quite live up to his wonderkid status. Time is certainly not of an essence in this situation, as competitions for starting places at the Etihad mean he can gradually ease into the fold. But, in good time, the Cityzens will hope the elusive wide man can translate his eye-watering £84.2m transfer value into dazzling performances.

3 Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)

Transfer value: £90.87m

Warren Zaire-Emery is already a consistent name on the French teamsheet – and, this season, he will eventually become one of the most reliable figures in the capital. Capable of being their sole defensive midfielder or playing slightly further forward in the middle of the park, the Frenchman has all the star qualities to shine for PSG.

You’d be mistaken if you think he was an experienced and composed veteran midfielder with the way he acts. His ability to bring the ball forward and dominate games showcases exciting signs that are on the horizon for the years to come. He’s the future of PSG — and that fills their fans with hope, before you even give them a chance to talk about the money side of things (something the Parisian club has famously loved boasting about over the last decade).

2 Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)

Transfer value: £95.71m

Alejandro Garnacho is currently in the process of taking his game to the next level with Manchester United. The Madrid-born winger, who has represented Argentina’s senior national team on seven occasions, scored one of the greatest goals in Premier League history during the 2023-24 campaign: a mind-blowing overhead kick against Everton which deservedly earned him November’s Goal of the Month award.

Garnacho’s direct dribbling style and fearless nature has made him a firm fan favourite already at Old Trafford. There are a couple of areas of his game that require fine-tuning, but the 20-year-old has the potential to become one of the world’s best wingers if everything clicks, and given his allegiances with one of football’s most successful clubs and countries, his value only skyrockets as a result.

1 Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Transfer value: £150.81m

Lamine Yamal, at just 17 years old, is faced with the potential burden of being the world’s most valuable footballer so early into his burgeoning career. His transfer value of £150.81m is over £55m more than his closest rival, and while the pressure he finds himself under to fire Barcelona and Spain back into footballing superiority would often be too much for others to handle, Yamal has relished the opportunity.

He became the youngest player to score in a European Championship knockout game over the summer as he more than played his part in Spain’s eventual triumph. This season, his numbers have only bettered since breaking into first-team action in 2023/24, as he already boasts having scored five goals and provided seven assists in 12 La Liga matches, with Barcelona sitting top. The heir to Lionel Messi’s throne seems to finally have been found, and it feels more like a matter of time rather than ‘if’ the Spaniard will claim the title of being the best footballer in the world.