'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Young stars have been the hottest property in the game for a very long time. Investing in young talented individuals and developing them into world-beaters has been the strategy for the most successful clubs in the last two decades.
Signing a young striker and turning him into a proven asset can lead to guaranteed goals for the better part of a decade.
Although there have been some flops along the way, some clubs have succeeded in identifying the right talent and honing their potential carefully. But signing that player will always take a little more money than one would spend on a teenager.
Attackers, more often than not, are some of the costliest investments in the game. Their age, along with their potential, can lead to big numbers being thrown in the mix to sign them.
Trending
On that note, let's take a look at five most expensive players ever to be signed aged 18 or younger.
#5 Wayne Rooney (€37 million)
Wayne Rooney is arguably the greatest signing in the history of Manchester United. The Englishman broke onto the scene when he joined the first-team setup at Everton as a 17-year-old.
In his time at the Merseyside club, he scored 28 goals in 117 games. But his fire, passion and desire to be the best was clear in every single match. This was enough to convince Sir Alex Ferguson to chunk out €37million for the 18-year-old in 2004.
It was the most expensive fee ever for a teenager at that point but it was bound to reap profits. Rooney took to Old Trafford seamlessly. He became an instant fan favorite with his knack of scoring unreal goals and working hard for the team. His versatility also made him the first-name on the team sheet.
In the 13 years he spent in the red half of Manchester, the English international became the highest goal-scorer in the history of the club (253). He also became the second highest goal scorer in the Premier League. In 2017, he re-joined Everton before moving to a couple more clubs and then retiring in January 2021.
Rooney is currently managing Championship club Derby County but remains one of the best investments ever made by a Premier League club. So it is a good thing the Red Devils spent the amount they did.
#4 Luke Shaw (€37.5 million)
Luke Shaw is the second and last Manchester United player on this list. The left-back was one of the best English talents in the sport during his time at Southampton as a 17-year-old.
He made 67 appearances under the then Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino and the Red Devils were convinced about their next big signing.
Louis van Gaal had just been appointed at the time and the club were reverting to a back three with wing-backs. Shaw felt like a good signing, since he was a dynamic and adventurous left-back who could run up and down the flank with relative ease. Moreover, he was only 18, and paying €37.5 million for his services in 2014 felt like a justified move.
But he rarely fit into the system in his early days and a horrific injury kept him out for the most part. The Englishman then had a rough patch with former United manager Jose Mourinho too. The Portuguese preferred to turn Ashley Young into a full-back rather than utilize Shaw.
However, things turned around under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the full-back is now a starter at Old Trafford. He still possesses injury issues but interim boss Ralf Rangnick does seem to like him.
Still only 26, the former Southampton ace will want to give the Red Devils their money's worth by helping them win a major trophy in the coming years.
#3 Fabio Silva (€40 million)
Fabio Silva is the signing who is yet to reap dividends. The Portuguese ace shifted between the youth academies of FC Porto and SL Benfica as a youngster before signing a professional contract with the former in 2018.
In his debut season in the senior setup in 2019, the striker scored three goals and provided two assists in 24 appearances. But his stock was rising and several clubs were circling for his signature.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have always signed the best Portuguese talents and wanted to do so again. They brought out their checkbook and made the 18-year-old ace their club-record signing by paying €40 million in the summer of 2020.
It has taken a while for the talented starlet to adjust to life in England. He would always play second fiddle to Ruben Neves under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Current manager Bruno Lage has since started using the centre-forward far more often but he is yet to score goals on a regular basis. He has made 19 appearances this season in all competitions, scoring once.
Nevertheless, Silva is still only 19-year-old and things are starting to look up for him. Once he comes into his own, the young star can justify his price tag and prove his potential to the owners that paid him the big bucks.
#2 Rodrygo (€45 million)
Rodrygo is a star in the making and is on the precipce of developing into a world-class winger. The Brazilian starlet started playing professionally for FC Santos at the age of 16. He was soon catching the eye of all the top clubs in Europe, but Real Madrid wanted him the most. Los Blancos put the money where their mouth was and paid €45 million to sign the 17-year-old ace in 2019.
Under former Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, young talents were always promoted to the first-team setup and given a chance to prove their worth. The French manager also knew how to manage the minutes of a young talent like Rodrygo.
Understandably, the Samba boy flourished under the 1998 World Cup winner and made a place for himself in the squad. Now under Carlo Ancelotti, the youngster is trying to take his chances and become a starter. He has made 26 appearances this season in all competitions for Real Madrid.
Rodrygo's fancy bag of tricks coupled with an eye for a goal prove that he could succeed at the Santiago Bernabeu in the coming years.
#1 Vinicius Jr (€45 million)
Vinicius Junior is already one of the biggest stars in world football. Only four years ago, the South American ace was playing for Flamengo in the Brazilian top-flight. But Real Madrid were quick to spot him and they always wanted to invest in young talent as a proper heir to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Living up to the legend is not an easy task. It has taken a while for the Brazilian to prove he is worth every penny of the €45 million the Spanish club paid for him when he was only 18.
In the beginning, Vincius had a lot to improve upon. His shooting was wayward and his first touch was disastrous. He has always had a god-given dribbling talent on the ball but he needed discipline to become a world-beater.
The winger is now starting every game under Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu and is preferred over the €100 million signing Eden Hazard. The frightening aspect is that he is still only 21. He has scored 15 goals and assisted 10 in just 30 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
Vinicius is tearing apart the best teams in the world and it will not be a surprise if he goes on to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award someday.
