The Nigerian youngster sealed a club and African record transfer to Napoli last year, but the figure paid for his services is no longer the seventh most expensive transfer for a U-21 player
It is no longer news that Jadon Sancho has become a Manchester United player after the Red Devils nearly broke the bank to secure his signature from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
However, in completing the €85 million move, the English forward edges past Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen on the list of most expensive transfers involving players under 21 years of age.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille last year in a deal reportedly worth €80 million (plus add ons) to become the most expensive African player in history.
The former Sporting Charleroi ace just edged past Ivory Coast international Nicholas Pepe, who cost Arsenal €79 million in 2019.
On the list of the 30 most expensive u-21 transfers in history, Osimhen in eighth sits right behind Kai Havertz (€80m) and Sancho (€85m) in 7th and 6th, respectively.
French forward Kylian Mbappe, since his €145 million move from Monaco to PSG in 2018, remains the world’s most expensive U-21 player.
The €135m deal that took Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona puts him in second place, followed by the €127.2m that took Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid from Benfica.
Neymar’s €88.2m move from Brazilian side Santos to Barcelona in 2013, and Matthijs De Ligt’s €85.5m deal to Juventus from Ajax complete the top five.
