The most expensive youngsters in football history

• In football, being a young talented footballer always comes with a lot of support from fans and big clubs eager to sign you.
• We look at the most expensive youngsters in football history.

In football, being a young talented footballer always comes with a lot of support from fans and big clubs eager to sign you.

With news that Jude Bellingham’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for a reported fee of 115 million euros, we look at the most expensive youngsters in football history.

Endrick (Palmeiras to Real Madrid)

Endrick. Photo/Sky Sports

Endrick may not currently be a Real Madrid player, but the forward’s £60.2 million price tag makes a feature in the list.

Endrick will formally sign with Real Madrid in July 2024 when he becomes 18 after the Spanish powerhouses prevailed in a heated competition to sign one of soccer’s most promising young players.

At the age of 16 years, two months, and sixteen days, Endrick made his Palmeiras debut, breaking the club’s record for the earliest debutant. Endrick had an incredible junior career, scoring 165 goals in 169 games.

In a 3-1 victory over Athletico Paranaense in October 2022, the youngster scored his first goals as a senior, making him the second-youngest striker in the history of Brazil’s top league.

Real Madrid will be hoping that Endrick will continue in the steps of fellow countrymen Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior by establishing himself as a key player at the Bernabeu.

Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax to Juventus)

After leaving Ajax to join Juventus in a £68 million transfer in 2019, Matthijs de Ligt holds the record for being the most expensive young defender of all time.

De Ligt scored on his senior debut to tie for the second-youngest defender in Ajax history and quickly cemented his position as the starting center-back. After beginning Ajax’s loss to Manchester United in the 2017 Europa League final, the defender became the youngest player to appear in the final of a major European event. He was later elected captain of the Dutch team.

Juventus spent a lot of money to recruit the prodigy after he led the team to a domestic double and the Champions League semifinals in 2018–19.

De Ligt won the Serie A trophy in his first season with the Bianconeri and played in 117 games for the team over three seasons before joining Bayern Munich for £68 million. He is only 23 years old but has already won league championships in three separate nations.

Joao Felix (Benfica to Atletico Madrid)

Joao Felix. Photo/ Football365.

In terms of transfer costs in modern sport, there shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but Atletico Madrid’s decision to pay a staggering £113 million for Benfica teenager Joao Felix shocked Europe.

The 19-year-old forward’s thrilling rise at the Portuguese giants, where he scored 20 goals in a game-changing 2018–19 season, led to links with many of the continent’s top teams.

As Benfica secured the championship and the top of Europe started to assemble, Felix was named the division’s Young Player of the Year. Benfica was hesitant to part with their best player, but an incredible offer from Atletico Madrid led to an agreement.

In a risky move that didn’t turn out as planned, the Spanish team gambled £113 million on a 19-year-old with only a single season of first-team football under his belt. Felix has battled for status at Atletico despite showing flashes of his evident talent, and he sometimes seemed to be a bad match for Diego Simeone’s technical style.

After spending the second part of the previous season on loan at Chelsea, he now faces an unclear future despite having 34 goals in 131 games for the club.

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid)

If add-ons are reached, Jude Bellingham‘s transfer to Real Madrid may cost up to £115 million, making the England midfielder the second-most expensive teenager of all time.

Bellingham, who left Birmingham City for the Bundesliga when he was 16 years old, has developed into one of Europe’s most intriguing young players over his three seasons with Borussia Dortmund.

The young midfielder led his Dortmund teammates in goals and assists throughout all competitions during the 2022–23 season, earning him the title of Bundesliga Player of the Season.

Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain)

Kylian Mbappe has a contract with PSG until 2025. Photo/ The Peninsula Qatar.

In 2016–17, Kylian Mbappe made his debut for an exciting Monaco team that won the Ligue 1 championship by defeating PSG and advanced to the Champions League semifinals. It wasn’t long before Europe’s established powerhouses began to show an interest.

With Mbappe expressing a desire to create history in his own country, Paris Saint-Germain prevailed in the battle to sign the forward, first on a season-long loan before paying a price of £165 million. He has undoubtedly developed into the best football player in the world in Paris.

Mbappe has a club-record 212 goals in 260 games, five league titles, and five straight seasons in which he ended as Ligue 1’s top scorer.

Four-time Ligue 1 Player of the Year, there are still rumors that Mbappe may leave PSG to pursue glory in the Champions League.