10 most expensive teenagers in football history

#5 Javier Saviola - 25 million

Javier Saviola has played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid

Age – 19

Position – Striker

Transfer – River Plate to FC Barcelona

Touted as one of the biggest unfulfilled potentials in world football, Javier Saviola’s career invokes a certain degree of melancholy in the eyes of many fans. The Argentine was even heralded as the potential heir to Diego Maradona.

Signed for £25 million from club River Plate, Saviola spent three relatively mediocre seasons at the Nou Camp before going out on loan. The Buenos Aires born striker scored a decent 17 goals in the La Liga in his first season finishing as the joint-fourth highest scorer in the league. But his Catalan dream faltered from then on.

Inconsistency, niggling injuries, and the shadow of the great Patrick Kluivert – one of the best strikers on the planet at that time – prevented him from becoming the player Barcelona hoped he would be. Saviola spent the last two seasons of his Barca contract out on loan at AS Monaco and Sevilla before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2007.