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Top 30 revealed
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This summer's transfer window is certain to have plenty of twists and turns. A number of big-money deals have already been announced, and plenty more cash is expected to be splashed in the coming months. Whilst there will be some more big profile players at the peak of their games on the move this transfer window, more and more clubs are opting to prioritise potential when laying out big transfer fees. Many clubs are switching their strategy to bring in youngster stars, with teams keen to keep the average age of their squads down and make longer-term investments.
Argentinian wonderkid Franco Mastantuono sealed his €45 million move to Spanish giants Real Madrid last week, and will join Los Blancos after the Club World Cup. Some other talented teenagers could also be on the move this summer. Brazilian 18-year-old sensation Estêvão will join Chelsea from Palmeiras at the start of July. Olympiacos' young Greek forward Charalampos Kostoulas has sealed a move to Brighton for €35m, whilst Ajax's defender Jorrel Hato is one of a number of other teenagers has being linked with a big move. But if we go back through the record books, who are the most expensive teenage transfers of all time? Here at Transfermarkt, we have put together a list of the top 30. Plenty of youngsters who turned into world stars feature as well as players who haven't managed to fulfil their potential.
Coming in at first place is superstar Kylian Mbappé who moved from Monaco to PSG for €180m back in the summer of 2018, aged just 19. It remains the second highest transfer of all time only behind PSG's acquisition of Neymar the previous summer for €222m. Mbappé certainly lived up to his astronomical transfer fee becoming the club's highest ever goal scorer, but it will still be feeling bitter for the Parisians that they had to let him go on a free transfer six years later. In second place is a transfer that has not quite worked out in Atlético Madrid's €127.2m signing of João Felix from Benfica back in 2019. He was aged 19 at the time.
The third most expensive teenage transfer was Juventus' signing of 18-year-old Matthijs De Ligt from Ajax in 2019, after he had captained Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals the previous season. Fourth is Chelsea's purchase of Roméo Lavia from Southampton for €62.1m in the summer of 2023. Fifth was when Manchester United signed Leny Yoro for €62m from Stade Rennes last summer, whilst sixth goes to Anthony Martial who the Red Devils bought for €60m from Monaco back in 2015. The Frenchmen showed such early promise, highlighted in his fantastic solo goal against Liverpool, but his United career went on somewhat of a downward spiral since.
Seventh and eighth were both transfers to PSG last summer. First up is the €59.9m signing of midfielder João Neves from Benfica, followed by the €50m signing of Désiré Doué from Stade Rennes. Whilst ninth and tenth were signings for Real Madrid, emphasising 'Los Blancos' move to a different transfer approach in recent seasons. Ninth is last summer's signing of Endrick from Palmeiras for €47.5m, and tenth is the first inclusion from this summer in Argentine sensation Mastantuono, who was signed from River Plate for €45m.
