The CIES Football Observatory have revealed their list of the most valuable young stars in the world – with Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal topping the standings.
CIES’s list includes the top 100 players yet to turn 23, including stars like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer after his outstanding first season at Stamford Bridge that has seen him score 19 goals in all competitions. He has been rated at £100million by the observatory.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz – who has been dazzling under boss Xabi Alonso amid their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga – and Man City’s Jeremy Doku also feature high up the list, being rated at £110m and £91.5m respectively.
But just based on the teenage stars in the list, who would make the best starting XI? Mail Sport has crafted a team judging on the CIES rankings.
Lamine Yamal of Barcelona leads the best teenage XI from CIES’s Football Observatory of most valuable players
GOALKEEPER
Guillaume Restes (Toulouse)
Age: 19
Value: £24m
Restes joined Toulouse’s academy as a six-year-old and after rising up the ranks and signing his first professional contract aged 16, he has finally become the club’s first choice shot-stopper this season at the age of 19.
He has already earned comparisons to the club’s former keeper Alban Lafont – the last keeper who emerged through Toulouse’s youth system.
This season, he’s played a total of 35 games, starting all 28 games in Ligue 1. His displays have helped the team concede just 36 times, keeping them in mid-table.
Restes is CIES’s highest valued goalkeeper on the list at £24m after superb year with Toulouse
RIGHT-BACK
Leny Yoro (Lille)
Age: 18
Value: £37m
Yoro is seen as one of the best defensive talents in Europe – with Real Madrid among the teams reportedly in the hunt for him.
The 18-year-old has started 26 games French top flight this season, scoring twice, and is the latest talent to come out of an academy that has already produced the likes of Eden Hazrd, Franck Ribery and Yohan Cabaye.
He made his breakthrough in the first team last season and is now a permanent fixture in the team, with 37 total appearances this term.
Leny Yoro is one of Europe’s most talented defenders and he is a key member of Lille’s team
CENTRE-BACK
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
Age: 17
Value: £21m
When you’re 17 years old and you’re already a regular starter for a club like Barcelona, you know you’re doing something right.
Centre-back Pau Cubarsi has seemingly come out of nowhere and has now been given huge trust by manager Xavi in a time when they are chasing honours on multiple fronts.
He’s made 15 appearances in total, with ten starts in LaLiga and two in the Champions League after slotting in alongside Ronald Araujo against PSG, becoming the youngest player to start a quarter-final in the competition.
Pau Cubarsi has been starting in the heart of Barcelona’s defence at the age of just 17
CENTRE-BACK
Jorrel Hato (Ajax)
Age: 18
Value: £68m
It’s been a tough season for Ajax but one of the standouts – and shining lights for the future – has undoubtedly been rising centre-back Jorrel Hato.
Ajax have fought back from fears of relegation to move up into the top six, but after some humiliating results and 55 goals conceded, it’s been a punishing baptism of fire for the 18-year-old defender.
Hato made 15 appearances for the Dutch outfit last season but it has only been this campaign that has seen him push on as a sure-fire starter following the departure of Jurrien Timber to Arsenal. This term, he’s played 42 times in total, starting all 29 of the club’s Eredivisie games and wearing the captain’s armband on a few occasions.
Jorrel Hato is the latest talent to emerge from Ajax’s famed academy and he has bravely attempted to steer the club through a rocky season
LEFT BACK
Rico Lewis (Manchester City)
Age: 19
Value: £70m
England international Lewis is well established at the Etihad under Pep Guardiola, with his breakthrough coming last season – making 23 appearances in total and becoming part of the famous treble-winning side.
He has made a further 24 outings in this campaign, starting seven times in the Premier League, scoring twice, and starting six times in the Champions League – assisting three times.
While he is yet to solidify his place as a first team regular, the future still looks bright for Lewis and he has time on his side to progress.
Rico Lewis is gaining valuable experience with a talented City side under Pep Guardiola
CENTRE MID
Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
Age: 18
Value: £67m
He’s PSG’s youngest ever player in Ligue 1. The youngest ever goalscorer and the youngest player to start a Champions League knockout game in UEFA history. Zaire-Emery is breaking records at an alarming rate and he’s only just turned 18.
Zaire-Emery is already established as a first choice centre-mid at PSG and has played 36 games in total this season, scoring three and assisting five – while two caps have arrived for the French national team, scoring on his senior debut against Gibraltar.
His boss Luis Enrique is clearly thrilled about his potential after beaming about his display following a 4-0 win over Marseille, saying earlier this season: ‘Warren could be 37 years old rather than 17.
‘I am so lucky to get here and have a player of his quality. All we can do is enjoy Warren Zaire-Emery in every match and training session.’
Warren Zaire-Emery – valued at around £67m – has been hailed for playing with the maturity of a 37-year-old
CENTRE-MID
Joao Neves (Benfica)
Age: 19
Value: £90m
Neves appears to have the world at his feet. Just 19 years of age and he’s already played 67 times for his boyhood club, who he joined at the age of 11.
Now Manchester United and Arsenal are both said to be chasing the Portuguese star’s signature this summer, and if he continues his sparkling displays there should be a huge tug of war.
This season he’s started 23 times in the Portuguese Liga, scoring three and assisting one. He’s also started all six Champions League games as Benfica exited at the group stage of the competition and a further four in the Europa League.
He has already received shining praise from his countryman Bruno Fernandes, who said: ‘He is an excellent player and an excellent kid. He will have a bright future wherever he goes.’
Joao Neves is being chased by Man United and Arsenal after a superb season at Benfica
ATTACKING-MID
Endrick (Palmeiras/Real Madrid)
Age: 17
Value: £77m
Endrick’s first goal for Brazil on the big stage at Wembley against England was the clearest example of how mature this youngster is already aged 17. He then grabbed his second for his country in the following game against Spain.
He is turning heads with his scintillating displays for Brazil Palmeiras and has not yet even been given a chance to show what he can do in a major league – as he awaits his official move to Real Madrid to come to fruition this summer.
Endrick already knows what it means to win after lifting the Brazilian Serie A twice with Palmeiras and the Supercopa – which will only benefit him when he joins a European powerhouse like Madrid later this year.
Endrick continues to go from strength to strength at just 17 ahead of a big move to Real Madrid
RIGHT WING
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Age: 16
Value: £124m
Currently one of the first names on the team-sheet at Barcelona at the staggering age of just 16, Yamal is comfortably top of CIES’s list for a reason with a value of £124m.
Five goals and four assists in all competitions is an impressive return for a player of his age and it’s clear that boss Xavi really trusts him – we could have a real star in the making if he is producing this level of quality at such an early stage.
Six caps have also followed for the Spanish national team when most players his age are still with the U17s. It seems like his future will be at Barcelona for the mean time after penning a new deal with the club until 2026 with a buyout clause of £857m.
Lamine Yamal is just 16 but is already one of Xavi’s key players leading the line this season
STRIKER
Evan Ferguson (Brighton)
Age: 19
Value: £80m
At the start of the season, a host of big clubs were after Ferguson, and he proved exactly why after a flurry of goals to lead Brighton’s charge following the sales of a handful of big names.
The Irish international netted four goals in his first four Premier League games – though he would only score two more between then and November. Ferguson is currently on a goal drought, having not scored since netting against Nottingham Forest in November.
But he is still just a teenager and has time on his side to work on all aspects of his game after Tottenham were credited with interest in him last summer.
Evan Ferguson is enduring a goal drought but is still rated at £80m by the CIES observatory
LEFT WING
Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Age: 19
Value: £92m
Garnacho looks like a player far beyond his years and is delivering at the highest level after being one of Man United’s shining lights this season.
His incredible overhead kick against Everton in November was a reminder of his talent but it’s his consistency and regular goal contributions that are making him one of the Premier League’s most promising prodigies.
The Argentinian, rated at £92m, has nine goals and three assists from 41 appearances this season – showing his importance to Erik ten Hag at a time where he needs United players to stand up. He’s more than getting that from Garnacho.
Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying a superb campaign at United with nine goals and three assists
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