While the majority of teenagers are learning to drive and showcasing fake IDs, some are being traded for millions and millions of dollars.
Soccer inflation knows no bounds, and potential is perhaps the most valuable currency in the sport. Often, clubs are buying what they believe a player could become, not what they already are.
We certainly haven’t been shy of outstanding teenage talent, from Pelé to Lamine Yamal, with the “next big thing” seemingly always around the corner. However, it’s never guaranteed that the burgeoning starlet attains greatness.
In some cases, the candle burns viciously early before fading. The mythologized potential sapped gradually over time, or in one fell swoop.
Real Madrid have decided that Yan Diomande will be the next teenage star to be put under the microscope. The Ivorian’s move to the Spanish capital is costing Los Blancos a small fortune, and Diomande has become one of the most expensive teenagers in soccer history.
But where does he rank in the top 10?
*all transfer fees are provided byTransfermarkt
10. Luka Vuskovic—Tottenham to Brighton (€54 million)
When Spurs were staring down the barrel of relegation, supporters lamented the fact that they’d never get to see Luka Vušković turn out in Lilywhite.
The north Londoners eventually avoided the apocalyptic fate of second-tier soccer, but have parted ways with Vušković anyway.
Roberto De Zerbi made it clear that the slow-turning but dominant Croat wasn’t a part of his immediate plans, and Vušković wasn’t interested in another loan spell.
With his stock high after an excellent season in the Bundesliga with Hamburg, Spurs sold the center back to Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal that could be worth €54 million. The Lilywhites thus banked a healthy profit, signing Vušković for €14 million when he was 16.
The Seagulls will back themselves to convert the young Croat into something rather special.
9. Anthony Martial—Monaco to Man Utd (€60 million)
Nobody actually knows how much this deal ended up costing Manchester United. However, Anthony Martial certainly did not win a Ballon d’Or during his nine-year career at Old Trafford, so it wasn’t as pricey as it could’ve been.
Martial’s United tenure is a weird one to assess. The Frenchman, of course, didn’t come close to reaching the lofty heights his contract suggested he may reach, but he did finish with 91 goal contributions in 209 Premier League outings.
Martial enjoyed stellar bouts of form in Manchester, and his debut was one to remember. Still, the final few years with the Red Devils were rather painful, with the club constantly attempting to engineer a permanent departure but settling for loans.
8. Leny Yoro—Lille to Man Utd (€62 million)
Martial isn’t the only French teenager who joined Man Utd to make this list. Nine years after the Monaco hotshot took the plunge, Lille center back Leny Yoro opted for pastures new via the Theatre of Dreams.
United beat Real Madrid to the 18-year-old’s signature in 2024, with former sporting director Dan Ashworth saying upon his arrival that Yoro “possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class center back.”
The start of his career was full of promise, and Yoro has offered spurts of star potential with Man Utd thus far. However, he’s yet to emerge as a regular for the Red Devils. Patience is in order.
7. Roméo Lavia—Southampton to Chelsea (€62.1 million)
This was the summer of Chelsea beating Liverpool to midfield signings. Both Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia were smitten by the Blues’ project-selling, although Liverpool haven’t exactly been too miffed by missing out on the latter.
Why? Well, Lavia cannot stay fit. Since completing a move worth in excess of €62 million in 2023, the former Southampton midfielder has sat out more than 100 Chelsea games through an array of injuries.
The talent was there for everyone to see on the south coast, but Lavia’s availability woes have proven to be incredibly frustrating.
6. João Neves—Benfica to PSG (€65.9 million)
Slight in stature, yet João Neves almost always sticks out. I mean, who tucks their shirt in anymore? The Portuguese midfielder is a bastion of tradition and class.
Manuel Ugarte signed for Paris Saint-Germain two days after Luis Enrique’s arrival on July 7, 2023, and the Spaniard could only endure one year of the shin-kicking Uruguayan. He needed a third Musketeer to complete his triumvirate, turning to Benfica’s Neves.
Since rocking up in Paris, all Neves has done is win. He’s a cultured midfield operator who scraps and hassles, rendering him a nightmare to play against.
Neves has played a pivotal role alongside Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz in PSG’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs.
5. Matthijs de Ligt—Ajax to Juventus (€85.5 million)
Matthijs de Ligt was the hottest center back property on the planet in 2019.
The Dutch defender was the stern presence at the heart of a swashbuckling Ajax team that was within a miraculous Lucas Moura hat trick of the Champions League final.
De Ligt scored twice during their memorable run, including the winner at Juventus in the second leg of their quarterfinal. His dominance in both boxes was laid bare against the Bianconeri, then not-so-frugal, and they made him the most expensive teenage defender ever that summer.
His three years in Turin were rather indifferent, but De Ligt’s CV is impressive.
4. Jude Bellingham—Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid (€127 million)
For Jude Bellingham, the disappointment of missing out on the Bundesliga title in 2022–23 was quickly mitigated by signing for Real Madrid.
His hometown club, Birmingham City, always knew that Bellingham was cut out for superstardom, even if retiring the midfielder’s No. 22 shirt was mocked by the majority.
He blossomed at Borussia Dortmund, but reached new heights in the Spanish capital, relishing the pressure that comes with donning the iconic white of Madrid. His first season at the club was mightily productive, and his work at the 2026 World Cup served as a reminder of his brilliance.
Bellingham is a behemoth of a soccer player, and worth every single penny of the reported €127 million Los Blancos paid for his services.
3. João Félix—Benfica to Atlético Madrid (€127.2 million)
On the contrary, João Félix is the epitome of luxury, and not in a good way.
While the young Portuguese forward drew comparisons to Kaká when he was breaking through at Benfica, his fit with Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid always seemed misaligned.
And so it proved. Simeone had little time for the flimsy Félix, who scored every four games during a five-year career and failed to live up to his huge price tag.
After enjoying loans with Barcelona, Chelsea and AC Milan, Félix is now content with life in Saudi Arabia.
2. Yan Diomande—RB Leipzig to Real Madrid (€140 million)
Here he is.
A little over a year ago, an 18-year-old Yan Diomande made his La Liga debut for Leganés at his new home.
Florentino Pérez would’ve barely registered the 85th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, but the Ivorian’s rapid rise has converted him into an €140 million asset.
Diomande was exceptional with RB Leipzig last season, shining down both flanks with an uncanny ability to beat his man one-on-one. Europe’s elite took notice, and Madrid were rather late to the party after Liverpool and PSG both pursued.
Los Blancos, potentially signing a Rodrygo usurper, must believe they’re signing a teenager capable of developing into one of the world’s best wide players.
1. Kylian Mbappé—Monaco to PSG (€180 million)
Kylian Mbappé was as close to a sure fire thing as they got.
He burst onto the big stage with Monaco during the latter stages of their run to the Champions League semifinals in 2016–17, and PSG wasted little time in scooping up the generationally gifted forward for a mammoth fee.
Mbappé became not only the most expensive teenager in soccer, but also the second most expensive player in the sport’s history.
While he ultimately failed to inspire the club to its ultimate goal before he left for Real Madrid, Mbappé has to be recognised as PSG’s greatest-ever player. He’s the club’s all-time record goalscorer, and has claimed 15 major honors.
Just not the big one.
