CIES Football Observatory just released their rankings of the most valuable teenage prospects, and because this is the worst and longest international break ever, I’m writing about it.
The only surprise is that Rio Ngumoha isn’t in the top 10. But I guess eleventh isn’t bad, either.
As CIES is wont to do, they invented a formula to rate the top teenage players in the world, in this case accounting for age, position, and years left on their contract to give the players an overall value on the transfer
market. According to this formula, Rio’s value comes in at £53.6m, which frankly feels low in this inflated transfer market.
Incidentally, Real Madrid newboy Yan Diomande comes in at £102.7m, less than the £106m (plus £13m in add-ons) he signed for this summer. I guess Diomande is like a car once you’ve driven it off the lot.
The top 10 is as follows:
- Lamine Yamal – £323.1million (Barcelona, 19)
- Pau Cubarsi – £152.9m (Barcelona, 19)
- Estevao – £103.1m (Chelsea, 19)
- Yan Diomande – £102.7m (Real Madrid, 19)
- Lennart Karl – £102.2m (Bayern Munich, 18)
- Marc Bernal – £78.2m (Barcelona, 19)
- Ayyoub Bouaddi – £77.6m (Manchester City, 19)
- Franco Mastantuono – £65m (Fiorentina/Real Madrid, 19)
- Ibrahim Mbaye – £63.1m (Aston Villa, 18)
- Luka Vuskovic – £60.6m (Brighton, 19)
Rio’s current valuation is likely reduced due to his contract expiring in 2028, whereas the rest of the top 10 have contracts running out in 2029 at the earliest. So. Liverpool. Sign that kid up!
