"It's always better not to go into the transfer market when you have quality at home," said Barça's sporting director Deco, referring to the club's recent transfer activities. For financial reasons, FC Barcelona has been increasingly following this philosophy in recent years. As a result, the twelve players aged 21 or younger at FC Barcelona contribute 49.4% of the squad's total value, which stands at €875.4 million. According to detailed data from the TM database*, only two teams in the top five European leagues surpass this percentage of U22 players contributing to the squad value.
Teams with the highest percentage of under-21 players in squad value
FC Bayern Munich | Squad value: €946 million | U22 contribution: 22.2%
Number of U22 players: 8
Cumulative market value: €210 million
Olympique Marseille | Squad value: €271 million | U22 contribution: 22.6%
Number of U22 players: 9
Cumulative market value: €61.3 million
SL Benfica | Squad value: €329 million | U22 contribution: 23%
Number of U22 players: 6
Cumulative market value: €75.5 million
Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Squad value: €627.3 million | U22 contribution: 23.2%
Number of U22 players: 5
Cumulative market value: €145.5 million
PSV Eindhoven | Squad value: €320.6 million | U22 contribution: 25.1%
Number of U22 players: 8
Cumulative market value: €80.6 million
Manchester United | Squad value: €857.4 million | U22 contribution: 25.2%
Number of U22 players: 6
Cumulative market value: €216.1 million
Olympique Lyon | Squad value: €265.8 million | U22 contribution: 25.9%
Number of U22 players: 8
Cumulative market value: €68.8 million
Valencia CF | Squad value: €260 million | U22 contribution: 26.2%
Number of U22 players: 4
Cumulative market value: €68 million
River Plate | Squad value: €119.4 million | U22 contribution: 27.1%
Number of U22 players: 5
Cumulative market value: €32.4 million
Villarreal CF | Squad value: €196.2 million | U22 contribution: 27.5%
Number of U22 players: 4
Cumulative market value: €54 million
Brighton & Hove Albion | Squad value: €543.1 million | U22 contribution: 27.7%
Number of U22 players: 8
Cumulative market value: €150.6 million
Leicester City | Squad value: €263.9 million | U22 contribution: 27.8%
Number of U22 players: 5
Cumulative market value: €73.3 million
Burnley FC | Squad value: €196.1 million | U22 contribution: 28.2%
Number of U22 players: 6
Cumulative market value: €55.3 million
Real Madrid | Squad value: €1.34 billion | U22 contribution: 28.8%
Number of U22 players: 4
Cumulative market value: €385 million
Ajax Amsterdam | Squad value: €227.6 million | U22 contribution: 33.1%
Number of U22 players: 13
Cumulative market value: €75.4 million
Eintracht Frankfurt | Squad value: €248.3 million | U22 contribution: 35.9%
Number of U22 players: 11
Cumulative market value: €89.2 million
RB Leipzig | Squad value: €513.9 million | U22 contribution: 45.1%
Number of U22 players: 7
Cumulative market value: €232 million
FC Barcelona | Squad value: €875.4 million | U22 contribution: 49.4%
Number of U22 players: 12
Cumulative market value: €432.5 million
RC Strasbourg | Squad value: €158.6 million | U22 contribution: 65.1%
Number of U22 players: 21
Cumulative market value: €103.2 million
Red Bull Salzburg | Squad value: €169.5 million | U22 contribution: 69.8%
Number of U22 players: 22
Cumulative market value: €118.3 million
*The analysis only includes teams with a squad value of at least €100 million.
"You have to leave space for young players in planning," said Deco, mentioning Lamine Yamal (17) alongside other homegrown talents like Héctor Fort (18), Pau Cubarsí (17), Fermín López (21), and Marc Bernal (17). The current FC Barcelona squad includes twelve players under 21 years of age with a total market value of €432.5 million. Remarkably, aside from Pablo Torre (21) and Pedri (21), all these young talents come from Barça's famous La Masia academy. "La Masia is a treasure, and we have to make use of it," said Flick in an interview with "Mundo Deportivo." He praised the academy for consistently producing young players who "develop and perform at the highest level." Over the decades, numerous football legends have emerged from La Masia, the most famous being Lionel Messi (37). Spain's rising star, Lamine Yamal, is following in his footsteps, ranking among the ten most valuable footballers globally at just 17 years old.
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Youth contribution to squad value: FC Barcelona on the podium, but not first
In the ranking of teams with the highest percentage of U22 players contributing to squad value, two teams are ahead of Barcelona: French first-division side RC Strasbourg has 21 players under 22 years of age, with a cumulative market value of €103.2 million, contributing 65.5% of the squad's value. However, eleven of these players are on loan from other clubs, including the most valuable player under 21, Brazilian Andrey Santos (20), transferred from Chelsea, a partner club.
Red Bull Salzburg tops this list with 22 players under 21 years of age, contributing 69.8% to the squad's value with a cumulative market value of €118.3 million. The Austrian club is well-known for its highly effective youth development system, attracting talents like Hendry Blank (20), Leandro Morgalla (20), Oscar Gloukh (20), and Stefan Bajcetic (19).
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