Chelsea have spent whopping sums on new players since Todd Boehly became the owner, but the Blues' academy has continued to turn forth top-tier quality. Talented youngsters, all worth €630 million, including Reece James, Jamal Musiala, Andreas Christensen, Mason Mount, John Terry, and Jimmy Greaves, have all developed at the Cobham development program.
Meanwhile, a great number of elite world players have come from Barcelona's La Masia academy in recent decades. The academy has produced many stars, including Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. Only the Argentine World Cup winner remains active from that trio, and at age 35, but his transfer worth has declined significantly.
Meanwhile, Gavi is the most well-known product of La Masia's program in recent years, and he has cemented his place in Xavi's starting lineup. Although La Masia has produced some notable players, Barca's academy still ranks only third in terms of the market price for their youngsters, at €581 million.
Which club has the highest combined transfer value in the world?
Benfica are one of the best at generating revenue from player sales and development among all soccer teams. The Estadio da Luz has been responsible for launching the careers of several future European players. Such are Ruben Dias, Renato Sanches, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Darwin Nunez, Joao Cancelo, and Victor Lindelof, to name a few.
Of course, the most recent example is Enzo Fernandez, who joined Chelsea for a record-breaking €121 million on the last day of the January transfer window. The Argentinean World Cup champion is the most expensive player in British history.
Research by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) found that the Eagles' youth program had the greatest total transfer value in the world. 104 graduates of the Portuguese side's youth system are now making waves in over 50 major leagues across the globe, and they are worth a total of €670 million on the transfer market.
