5 Most Valuable 2021 Golden Boy Nominees
The Golden Boy award is given by sports journalists to a young footballer under the age of 21 playing in Europe, who has put in the best performances during a particular calendar year. Instituted in 2003, a number of great footballers have won the award in the recent past with some of the winners being Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero among others.
This calendar year too sees a number of promising youngsters being nominated for the award and here, we take a look at the five most valuable nominees in 2021.
Transfer values courtesy of Transfermarkt.
1. Pedri (Barcelona) - €80m
Widely hailed as the next great midfielder to emerge from Barcelona, Pedri enjoyed a breakout 2020/21 season as he starred for the Catalan giants, establishing himself as one of the best young talents in the world.
The 18-year-old impressed for Spain in the Euro 2020 Championship, with the hopes of both club and country resting on his shoulders.
2. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) - €65m
Bukayo Saka has been a lone bright spot for Arsenal in recent times, with the youngster capable of playing as in left-back, winger and midfielder on the pitch.
His excellent performances led him to make England's Euro 2020 squad, with the 20-year-old expected to become a future superstar.
3. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) - €55m
That Birmingham City chose to retire Jude Bellingham's number 22 shirt, despite the youngster spending only one season with them, goes to show the impact he had for the club.
Widely considered as a future superstar, the 18-year-old decided to move to Borussia Dortmund despite interest from a number of top English clubs - with the youngster putting on brilliant performances for the German club on a regular basis.
4. Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) - €55m
Real Madrid beat a number of top European clubs for the signature of Eduardo Camavinga, and the youngster has already shown glimpses of his talent as seen by his performances on the pitch.
The Frenchman is only 18-years-old and is expected to dominate midfield for both club and country for more than a decade or so in the future.
5. Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) - €50m
Touted as the next great striker to emerge for England, Mason Greenwood has already shown enough for fans and pundits to compare him to the great English strikers of the past.
The 19-year-old has already scored 32 goals for Manchester United and it will be interesting to see how many he ends up with by the time he hangs up his boots.