| Updated: Manchester City are close to completing the signing of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the terms of the transfer reportedly agreed and only the official announcement still pending. The 18-year-old’s move would place him among the most expensive teenage footballers ever and provide a new benchmark for what clubs are prepared to pay for elite young talent.
SportingPedia examined the 15 biggest transfer fees involving players aged 18 or younger at the time of their move, using Transfermarkt figures and including Bouaddi’s reportedly agreed €100 million transfer. For the purposes of this report, these players are classified as U19, avoiding the misleading use of “U18” for footballers who had already turned 18 when their transfers took place.
If nothing dramatic happens, and the Bouaddi deal goes through, the young Moroccan would enter the ranking at No.1, €38 million ahead of Leny Yoro’s €62 million move to Manchester United. Another curious observation is that Real Madrid account for four of the top seven deals. Five of those seven players come from South America, while Premier League clubs are the buyers in eight of the 15 most expensive transfers for players aged 18 or younger. From the selling side, Lille and Palmeiras produce the entire top four, with Bouaddi and Yoro occupying first and second ahead of Endrick and Estêvão.
The Most Expensive Players Aged 18 or Younger in Football History
Data Source: Transfermarkt
Bouaddi Is Set to Take the Record to €100 Million
Leny Yoro currently holds the record among the completed transfers after moving from Lille to Manchester United for €62 million. Bouaddi’s agreed €100 million switch to Manchester City would raise that benchmark by €38 million and make him the first player in the ranking to reach nine figures.
There is then a sharp drop before the rest of the leading group. Endrick ranks third at €47.5 million, followed by Estêvão, Franco Mastantuono, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior at €45 million each. Just €2.5 million separates third from seventh place, compared with the €38 million gap Bouaddi would establish over Yoro in second.
Real Madrid Account for Four of the Top Seven
Four of the seven largest transfers were made by Real Madrid. Endrick ranks third at €47.5 million, while Franco Mastantuono, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior each cost €45 million.
The four Madrid deals occupy third, fifth, sixth and seventh place, with only Chelsea’s €45 million signing of Estêvão interrupting their run between third and seventh. No other buying club has more than one player inside the top seven.
Five of the Top Seven Players Come From South America
South American players fill five of the first seven positions. Brazil supplies Endrick, Estêvão, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, while Argentina is represented by Franco Mastantuono.
Brazil therefore has four players among the seven most expensive U19 transfers, more than any other country. The four came from three different clubs: Palmeiras produced Endrick and Estêvão, Santos sold Rodrygo and Flamengo sold Vinicius Junior.
The top seven are completed by Morocco’s Bouaddi and France’s Yoro, who occupy the first two positions.
Lille and Palmeiras Produce the Four Most Expensive U19 Transfers
The first four places are split evenly between Lille and Palmeiras. Bouaddi and Yoro occupy the top two positions after coming through Lille, while Palmeiras products Endrick and Estêvão rank third and fourth.
If Bouaddi’s €100 million move is officially completed, Lille will hold the two most expensive U19 transfers in football history, with Palmeiras immediately behind in third and fourth. No other selling club appears more than once anywhere in the top 15.
The pattern is particularly concentrated because the four players did not simply come from two countries or leagues — they came from just two individual clubs, despite the ranking spanning 15 transfers and numerous major talent-producing sides across Europe and South America.
Premier League Clubs Bought Eight of the 15
Premier League clubs are the destination in eight of the 15 transfers. Manchester United have three entries, while Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Wolverhampton and Brighton each account for one.
Their influence becomes even stronger at the top. Real Madrid and three Premier League sides fill all seven leading positions: Madrid account for four, while Manchester City have Bouaddi, Manchester United have Yoro and Chelsea have Estêvão. No club from another league appears until Inter in ninth place, after Tottenham’s Archie Gray in eighth.
Manchester United are also the only club apart from Real Madrid to have at least three players in the ranking, with Yoro joined by Luke Shaw and Wayne Rooney.