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Lamine Yamal wants to spend many years at Barcelona - and there are few clubs who could afford to sign him anyway.
The dazzling 17-year-old is thought to be worth a staggering £150million, making him the most valuable player in the world under the age of 21.
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Having burst onto the scene in the 2023/24 campaign, Yamal has already broken a number of records for club and country, helping guide Spain to Euro 2024 glory.
Rio Ferdinand recently suggested Yamal is doing more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo before they were 18 - and it is hard to argue otherwise.
The Spaniard undoubtedly wears the crown as the greatest young player in world football right now, but with him well and truly off the market, who are the other most valuable players under the age of 21?
talkSPORT.com ranks the top 20 below, with information provided by Transfermarkt…
20. Mathys Tel (Tottenham, 19) - £33.4m
For the last year and a half, Tel had the unenviable task of playing second fiddle to Harry Kane at Bayern Munich.
Having made just two Bundesliga starts under Vincent Kompany during the 2024/25 season, Tel was loaned to Tottenham for the rest of the season with a reported option to buy for around £50m in the summer.
The circumstances in north London have not been ideal either - with Tel thrust immediately into the first-team due to an injury crisis.
He is yet to open his account for Spurs after four Premier League appearances.
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19. Endrick (Real Madrid, 18) - £33.4m
After emerging as a future superstar at Palmeiras, the Brazilian joined Madrid last summer, in a £60m deal which was struck in 2022.
Endrick became the youngest ever foreigner to score for Madrid in LaLiga on his debut in August 2024.
However, since then, the teenage forward has struggled to break into a frontline which contains Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
Endrick recently admitted he is worried about his place in the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup given his lack of game time at the Bernabeu.
18. Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth, 19) - £35.1m
Having arrived for just £13million from Juventus last summer, centre-back Huijsen has been a big part of Bournemouth’s roaring success this season.
So much so, teammate Justin Kluivert recently suggested the club are resigned to losing him when the campaign ends.
Huijsen has a £50m release clause in his contract and Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing him.
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17. Alejandro Garnacho (Man United, 20) - £37.6m
The Argentine forward’s future has been a talking point ever since Ruben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford.
Having been one of the first names on the team sheet under Erik ten Hag, Garnacho was recently linked with a January exit after falling out of favour under the new boss.
Garnacho has since regained his place in the United starting XI and looks set to stay for now.
At the age of 20, the Red Devils winger still has a lot to prove and plenty of time to prove it.
16. Kenan Yildiz (Juventus, 19) - £37.6m
The versatile Turkey forward has already won 23 caps for his country - and he is making history at Juventus.
After making his first-team breakthrough in 2023, Yildiz became the club’s youngest-ever foreign goalscorer in Serie A and the youngest ever to score for Juve in the Champions League.
Manchester United are among the clubs linked with a summer transfer if the Italian giants fail to qualify for the Champions League - and it is thought the club could demand as much as £80m.
European Football Expert compares Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri to Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal
15. Arda Guler (Real Madrid, 20) - £37.6m
Guler is another young superstar struggling to break into Real Madrid’s remarkably strong starting XI.
The Turkey sensation struggled with injuries after joining the Spanish giants from Fenerbahce in 2023, before making his debut in January 2024.
Despite mainly featuring as a substitute under Carlo Ancelotti, Guler recently insisted he remains committed to Madrid and their plans for his future.
14. Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund, 20) - £41.8m
Gittens has become the latest young Englishman to make a name for himself at Borussia Dortmund.
Following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham, Gittens left Manchester City and joined the German club’s youth setup in 2020.
After a number of injury-stricken seasons, the winger showed his true potential in the 2023/24 campaign and continues to go from strength-to-strength.
The Young Lions star has been linked with both Chelsea and Tottenham in recent months.
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13. Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich, 20) - £41.8m
The Germany midfielder has been at Bayern Munich since the age of seven, making his debut in 2023.
He has since established himself as one of the most accomplished young players in Europe.
However, his 2024/25 season has been disrupted due to a combination of injury and illness, meaning Pavlovic has only featured 15 times in the Bundesliga.
12. Samu Aghehowa (Porto, 20) - £41.8m
Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres continues to dominate in Portugal, making the Golden Boot a one-horse race.
But Porto striker Aghehowa is currently the next-best thing.
Having left Atletico Madrid last summer, the 20-year-old was recently called up by Spain for the first time, having enjoyed a breakthrough season in Portugal.
11. Estevao (Palmeiras/Chelsea, 17) - £41.8m
The exciting winger will join Chelsea in July after the Blues agreed a £29million deal to sign him after his 18th birthday.
Having been called up to the Brazil squad at such a young age, Estevao has already been compared to Neymar.
Speaking in July, manager Ceni said: "A special player, just like we saw Lucas [Beraldo] emerge at Sao Paulo and Neymar at Santos.
“He's very talented despite the young age and made good decisions during the game. He has everything to become one of the greatest in the world of football."
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10. Savinho (Man City, 20) - £45.9m
While most youngsters need to cut their teeth before waltzing into a Pep Guardiola team, Savinho established himself as a Man City starter within weeks of a £30million transfer in the summer of 2024.
Joining from fellow City Football Group club Troyes after a number of loans, the Brazilian has become one of Guardiola’s first-choice wingers over players such as Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku.
Despite a bright start to life at the Etihad, Savinho still only has one Premier League goal to show for his time at the club, amid a disappointing season for Man City as a whole.
9. Kobbie Mainoo (Man United, 19) - £45.9m
Mainoo's meteoric rise to the top of football is quite remarkable, given he was barely considered a senior player at club level until November 2023.
Having been at Old Trafford since the age of nine, a stunning breakthrough season for the Red Devils last term culminated in Mainoo scoring a winner in the FA Cup final against Man City.
The midfielder also became a crucial player for England on their run to the Euro 2024 final.
Like Garnacho, Mainoo’s future at United is a source of constant speculation.
8. Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal, 18) - £45.9m
A rare injury to Bukayo Saka this season has given rise to a new Gunners starboy.
Nwaneri remains the youngest player ever to feature in the Premier League after making his debut aged 15 years and 181 days old in 2022.
But this season has seen the England youth star have a real impact, scoring his first senior goals and featuring in 19 top-flight matches for Arsenal so far.
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7. Leny Yoro (Man United, 19) - £45.9m
United fans are yet to see the best of their young centre-back, who suffered a serious injury weeks after signing for the Red Devils from Lille in a deal thought to be worth £52.2m.
It made Yoro the most expensive player aged 18 or younger in football history.
The Frenchman immediately established himself as a starter under Amorim after returning from the injury suffered in pre-season, although he is currently out with a short-term problem.
6. Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG, 19) - £50m
The France midfielder encapsulates the new approach in Paris, which relies more on homegrown talent than expensive ready-made superstars.
Known for his exceptional passing ability, Zaire-Emery is already a fully-fledged Ligue 1 star, having arrived at PSG as an eight-year-old.
He has broken a number of records for the French giants, becoming their youngest player ever to feature in an official match at the age of 16 years and 151 days in 2022.
5. Desire Doue (PSG, 19) - £50m
Doue was one of the most-wanted players in world football in 2024 after rising to prominence at Rennes.
PSG won a fiercely-contested battle for the winger’s signature, fending off competition from Bayern Munich.
Doue has since been called up to the France national team and made his debut in March 2025.
4. Joao Neves (PSG, 20) - £54.2m
That’s three PSG players in a row at the top end of this list - and Liverpool fans could probably tell you why.
The runaway Premier League leaders were dominated by Luis Enrique’s tireless youngsters during their recent Champions League exit.
Neves, a supremely gifted midfielder, was arguably the pick of the bunch.
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3. Gavi (Barcelona, 20) - £58.4m
More than 100 appearances for Barcelona and a £1billion release clause - all before the age of 21.
Barcelona pride themselves on having the classiest midfielders in world football - and Gavi is cut from the same cloth as club legend Xavi.
Not even a ten-month injury across late 2023 and 2024 could stop him being the third-most valuable youngster in the world.
2. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, 18) - £58.4m
The ascension of Yamal during the 2023/24 campaign meant Cubarsi went somewhat under the radar.
But his inclusion in second place means Barcelona have the three most valuable young players in world football - one in attack, one in midfield, and one in defence.
The centre-back only emerged as a first team option in January 2024, before becoming the youngest player in Champions League knockout stage history last season when he debuted at 17 years and 50 days.
1. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, 17) - £150.1m
La Masia’s pride and joy is more than £90m more valuable than the next closest player in world football, according to Transfermarkt.
Yamal is rewriting the football history books in a way that no young player has ever done before the age of 18.
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He is football’s answer to darts sensation Luke Littler - and luckily for Barcelona, he intends to stay at the Nou Camp and become an all-time legend.
“I don’t know when (the contract will be signed), but I believe it’ll be soon,” the Spaniard said in January.
“In the end, Barca is the club of my life. I hope to renew my contract with them and to be with them as long as possible.
“I want to play in the Spanish league. I want to play for Barca, and yes, I will renew my contract. I will.”
