In a first for Canadian soccer, Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has been ranked the most valuable young footballer in Europe. Davies is ranked number one, well ahead of Jadon Sancho, Ansu Fati and Erling Haaland.
According to an algorithm modelled by the CIES Football Observatory, 19-year-old Davies has the highest estimated transfer value of any player born in the 2000s who is currently playing in one of Europe’s “big five” leagues — standing at a hefty €180 million.
The CIES values are scientifically calculated using an array of variables, such as the player’s age, their contact duration, international status and expected career trajectory, as well as transfer market levels and club finances.
Among the 12 big-5 league footballers born in the 2000s with an estimated value greater than €50M are four Englishmen (Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden), two Spaniards (Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres), two Brazilians (Rodrygo Goes, Vinícius Júnior), a Canadian (Alphonso Davies), a Norwegian (Erling Haland), a Swede (Dejan Kulusevski) and a Frenchman (Eduardo Camavinga).
Two players born in 2003 figure in the top 100 list: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, €44M) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, €16M). Bellingham heads the rankings for footballers who did not yet play for a national A-team, ahead of Benoît Badiashile (Monaco, €40 M). The latter outranks Ozan Kabak (Schalke 04, €35 M) and Wesley Fofana (Leicester City, €33M) in the table for centre backs.
Top 20 Young Players In Europe
