11 Most Expensive Teenagers in Football History

Football is now dominated by wealth and power. The beautiful game still has the skills, drama and chaos that it used to have. But now teams can dominate if they are state-owned, capable of signing players purely because they have money. From Neymar joining Paris Saint-Germain for £200m to Moises Caicedo joining Chelsea for £115m, the sport has always seen crazy price tags attached to players.

Teenagers are not exempt from that – and, over the years, a plethora of players under the age of 20 have left for extortionate fees. They can break onto the world stage and conquer matches, clubs and even leagues over the course of the season. Arriving from a club’s academy to leaving for a record-breaking price, teenagers have the ability to dictate the future of clubs due to their talent. If a club with financial issues is capable of selling a wonderkid, it can be fixed overnight, highlighting why clubs consistently buy and sell teenagers.

The Premier League is widely seen as the richest and most powerful league in the world – and it has played a part in seeing teenagers make transfers for incredible prices. Here are the 11 most expensive teenagers in football history.

11 Endrick – £34m

Palmeiras to Real Madrid

Endrick was widely billed as one of the most exciting youngsters in the world whilst he played in South America. From the Amazon Rainforest to the white beaches of Rio, Brazil has a history of producing wonderkids – and Endrick epitomised that.

At Palmeiras, he scored 17 goals in 60 matches, whilst he overpowered defenders with his strength and pace. Unsurprisingly, this caught the attention of Europe’s best clubs, with Real Madrid securing his signature ahead of their rivals. They signed him for £34m in 2023 ahead of a pre-arranged transfer in July 2024, and he is already among Brazil’s highest-profile stars.

10 Fabio Silva – £34m

Porto to Wolves

Fabio Silva joined Wolves from Porto in September 2020. At the time, he was considered one of the best prospects in world football – as Football Manager showcased with his potential rating. At Porto, he only scored three goals in 21 matches, but – at the age of 18 – Wolves were expecting him to improve eventually.

His dribbling, instinct in front of goal and natural pace made him an intriguing option, leading to Wolves paying £34m for him, but they would have expected more from him. As of 2024, he is Wolves’ third most expensive player, but when he joined, he was the most expensive.

9 Vitor Roque – £34m

Atletico Paranense to Barcelona

Vitor Roque officially joined Barcelona from Atletico Paranense on the 1st January 2024 in a pre-arranged transfer for £34m. As an 18-year-old at the time, he was catching attention from Europe’s best clubs – just like fellow Brazilian Endrick.

Over the course of his time with Atletico Paranense he scored 28 goals in 81 matches with 11 assists. He used his strength, pace and dribbling to outclass defenders, whilst he also had the awareness within the final third. It made him one of the best prospects in the world at his age, making it an easy decision for Barcelona to sign him.

8 Rodrygo – £38m

Santos to Real Madrid

Joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, Rodrygo was widely seen as one of the most promising players in the world. At his previous club Santos, he showcased incredible dribbling, pace and flair on the flanks. Partially due to that, he scored 13 goals with seven assists in 58 matches for the Brazilian giants.

In the seasons following his arrival in the Spanish capital, he scored crucial goals in La Liga and the Champions League, showcasing that the fee of £38m was worthwhile. At the time, he was the second-most expensive Brazilian teenager of all time, but he has since gone on to become one of the best wingers in world football.

7 Vinicius Junior – £38m

Flamengo to Real Madrid

Vinicius Junior joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in 2018. Just like the other Brazilian players on this list, he was billed for greatness whilst playing in South America. In the 2023/2024 season, Vinicius is seen as one of the best wingers in the world – and his performances with Flamengo foreshadowed that.

During his time with Flamengo, he scored 10 goals, coupled with four assists, in 55 matches. It was only 14 goal contributions, but his raw talent was clear to the naked eye, as his pace, dribbling and flair made him one of the most unpredictable players. It made Real Madrid’s decision to sign him for £38m incredibly easy.

6 Anthony Martial – £51m

Monaco to Manchester United

When Anthony Martial scored his first goal for Manchester United against Liverpool, Martin Tyler bellowed: “Welcome to Manchester United, Anthony Martial” – one of the most iconic pieces of commentary in the league. When he joined, he was billed as one of the best teenagers in the world, with the Red Devils even inserting a ‘Ballon d’Or’ clause in his contract where AS Monaco would receive an extra payment if he ever won it.

In 70 matches with the French side, he scored 15 goals with eight assists. His raw talent was clear to the naked eye, leading to Man Utd signing him for £51m. It didn’t work out for him in the north of England, but he was still one of the most hyped teenagers ever.

5 Leny Yoro – £52m

Lille to Manchester United

Interest was high in 18-year-old Leny Yoro after he burst onto the scene in Ligue 1. Making his French League debut at just 16-years-old, the centre-back proceeded to go from strength to strength, becoming one of the most promising defenders on the European scene. With Real Madrid and Manchester United sniffing around, a big move always seemed like it was in the offing.

The latter went on to win the race, making a huge offer of £52m to beat the Spanish giants to a transfer, as Los Blancos were reluctant to bid so high and preferred to wait until the summer of 2025, when Yoro was out of contract. France Under-21 manager Thierry Henry said that the start of the defender’s career had been “exemplary” and United fans will be hoping that there is even more to come.

4 Romeo Lavia – £53m

Southampton to Chelsea

Romeo Lavia left relegated Southampton to join heavyweights Chelsea in the summer of 2023. His performances on the south coast impressed, even if he couldn’t stop them from suffering the drop.

Signed for £53m, Lavia came with a huge price tag, but – at the time – it was justified due to his performances. He had a pass accuracy of over 85% whilst he had a strong injury record. In the middle of the park, he battled past opposition midfielders and frequently dictated the tempo of the match. Very few midfielders had his strength and power at his age, and he could yet silence doubters at Stamford Bridge after an injury-hit first season.

3 Matthijs de Ligt – £72.5m

Ajax to Juventus

Ajax’s run to the 2019 Champions League semi-finals is seen as one of the most impressive performances in the competition’s recent history. They knocked out Real Madrid in the round of 16 and then Juventus in the quarter-finals. Only a dramatic Lucas Moura second-half hat-trick denied them a place in the final.

Matthijs de Ligt played a huge part in that run. Not only did he score three goals in the competition, but he was the captain for several matches, showing composure, awareness and strength in every moment. Unsurprisingly, he left for Juventus in the summer of 2018 for £72.5m.

2 Joao Felix – £108m

Benfica to Atletico Madrid

Joao Felix’s move to Atletico Madrid from Benfica in the summer of 2019 shocked the world because of the price tag. At £108m, he was one of the most expensive players of all time, not just teenagers. Felix had shown promise with Benfica with 20 goals and 11 assists in 43 matches showcasing that. He had the dribbling, skill and pace to impress, justifying an expensive fee, but potentially not at over £100m, which earned him a spot in the most expensive team in football history.

However, at the age of 18, it placed immense pressure on him. It unsurprisingly led to a disappointing spell at the club before moves on loan to Chelsea and Barcelona.

1 Kylian Mbappe – £154m

Monaco to PSG

Kylian Mbappe is one of the sport’s biggest superstars – and his spell at Monaco foreshadowed an incredible career. In 60 appearances for the club, he scored 27 goals with 16 assists. He helped Monaco reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2017 with a string of spectacular performances, including against heavyweights Manchester City.

Due to this, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan in 2017, before making the move permanent in 2018 for a price of £154m. The permanent move came off the back of Mbappe becoming just the second teenager to score in a World Cup final – after Pele – almost immediately justifying his expensive price tag.