Diego Gómez, Diego Luna, Brian Gutiérrez & Co.: The most valuable U21 players in MLS

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After the September update 

All eyes have been on Major League Soccer ever since Lionel Messi arrived at Inter Miami CF last summer. But the top league in the United States and Canada is certainly more than just Messi. In fact, in recent years, several young players have made the move from one of the 29 teams playing across the North American continent to one of Europe’s top four leagues. Whether it is Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Jhon Durán (Aston Villa), Brenden Aaronson (now Union Berlin), or Tyler Adams (now Bournemouth), just to name a few, MLS is increasingly producing promising players for Europe. 

After the most recent MLS market value update, it is time to take a look at the most valuable players aged 21 or younger to take stock of who could be the next wonderkid making the move to Europe. Once again, it is a list dominated by Messi’s Inter Miami and Man City’s partner club New York City FC. 

The most valuable U21 players in Major League Soccer 

Diego Gómez: It is all but official. Gómez will be the next talent to depart MLS for a European top league. Although not announced yet, the 21-year-old Paraguayan midfielder is set to join Premier League side Brighton this summer. The reported €13m transfer fee was a big factor in upgrading Gómez to now €13m. But the Inter Miami CF star has also demonstrated his abilities on the pitch both in MLS but also for Paraguay scoring a historic winner against Brazil (1-0) in Conmebol World Cup qualifying. A well rounded central midfielder, Gómez is made for the sort of football Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler prefers to play and there is, therefore, a good chance that the Paraguayan will become a big star in the Premier League once he moves on. 

Federico Redondo: Second on the list is Gómez’s teammate Redondo. Inter Miami pulled off a real coup on the transfer market when they signed Redondo for €7.45m from Argentinos Juniors last winter. The son of former Real Madrid legend Fernando Redondo, the 21-year-old was considered one of the most talented players playing in Argentina. “I thought he would go to one of the top five leagues,” Transfermarkt Area Manager Argentina and South America Scott Christensen said earlier this winter. “I have heard rumors about AC Milan and considering that his father has played there, it seemed like an exciting opportunity. But it seems like playing with Messi and Sergio Busquets was a big draw.” Often compared to Busquets, Redondo has managed two goals and two assists in 18 games across all competitions for Miami this season.

Jovan Mijatović: This was another surprise transfer. Brought in by New York City FC in a deal worth €8m, Mijatović saw his market value double from €3m to €6m in the March update but has remained unchanged as part of the June and September updates. Mijatović is considered one of the hottest prospects in Serbian football, and NYCFC is likely just a stepping stone for the 19-year-old super talent. Indeed, the City Group, which also owns Man City and Girona, hopes that Mijatović could follow a similar path to Argentine superstar Taty Castellanos. Whether Mijatović can reach that ceiling remains to be seen. The striker has somewhat struggled in New York scoring just once in 16 games. As a result, there have been rumors about his departure last summer. But NYCFC are willing to remain patient with their Serbian wunderkind.  

Tomás Avilés: Inter Miami CF signed the 20-year-old Aviles for €6.3m from Racing Club in the wake of the Messi transfer, and the center-back hit the ground running, scoring two goals and two assists in 43 games across all competition. Aviles was signed on the behest of Miami head coach Tata Martino and is part of a club strategy that wants to see established stars surrounded by upcoming talent from both the US and South America. This season, he has continued to develop into one of the best center-backs in MLS, and even though his market value remained unchanged in the September update, Avilés was upgraded to €6m in June. 

Agustín Ojeda: Ojeda is the second new NYCFC signing on the list. Signed for €7m from Racing Club, Ojeda is another player for the City Group. Indeed, NYCFC seems to be an ever more important link in the production chain on which end players are either good enough to play for Man City or are being sold for a profit. But Ojeda might need some time to show his full potential and, as a result, Transfermarkt somewhat cautiously increased his market value to just €5m in March. That market value remained unchanged in June and now September as Ojeda has scored just three goals in 24 games across all competitions. To increase his market value further, Transfermarkt would certainly like to see a bit more from the Argentine winger. 

Diego Luna: “Marco Reus was the player I watched the most as a kid,” Luna told Transfermarkt in an exclusive interview last year. “Reus has a different style of play. It isn’t simple but makes it look simple; it is very creative, and he is good at using both feet and would roam the pitch. That really caught my eye, and it is something I model myself after.” Fortune has it that Luna can now watch Reus up close in MLS. Furthermore, Luna is on the path to follow, scoring seven goals and eight assists in 30 games across all competitions this year. Luna has firmly established himself as a critical player at RSL this season. The only question remains about his national team future. Luna has opened the door to perhaps representing Mexico instead after being left out of the US men’s national team Olympic roster. 

Julián Fernández: The 20-year-old continues the long tradition of Argentines playing for New York City FC. Altogether, eight Argentines have worn the sky-blue jersey of the New York-based MLS franchise. Indeed, in Ojeda, the club has added yet another Argentine to the squad this season. The most prominent is Taty Castellanos, who, after a strong season at Girona in LaLiga plays for Lazio in Serie A. NYCFC signed Fernández for around €4.6m from Vélez Sarsfield with the hope that he could develop in a similar vein as Castellanos. But Fernández has somewhat stalled in his development, scoring just two goals and three assists in 22 games across all competitions. Expectations are that the Argentine should be more productive. 

Brian Gutiérrez: The 21-year-old midfielder has been one of the few bright spots of yet another difficult Chicago Fire season. Although the Fire seem to be perpetually struggling on the field, the club has a good track record of selling players to Europe, and after scoring six goals and three assists in 29 MLS regular season games, Gutiérrez could be next. Eligible to represent both Mexico and the United States, Guitérrez has recently featured for US youth teams, but is exclusion from the Olympic squad was noticeable. A move to Europe might increase his stock, and at this stage of his career, it might, in fact, be necessary to keep developing his full potential. 

Benja Cremaschi: Although Cremaschi is prominently featured in the MLS Apple TV ads, it feels like the hype around the 19-year-old Inter Miami CF midfielder has died down a bit. Perhaps the reason behind that is the fact that Messi, Suárez, and the already mentioned Redondo and Gómez have taken up a significant part of the spotlight. But make no mistake, Cremaschi remains one of the most exciting talents in Major League Soccer. Eligible to represent both Argentina and the United States, Cremaschi represented the latter at the Olympic Games in Paris last summer. The 19-year-old featured twice as the US was eliminated by Morocco in the quarterfinals (4-0). Away on international duty also limited his time on the pitch for Inter Miami to just 19 MLS games (three goals and one assist). But tournament experience is invaluable for young players, and Cremaschi remains on the radar of top European clubs. 

Quinn Sullivan: There has been so much hype about Quinn’s brother, Cavan Sullivan, that we forget that the older of the two Sullivan brothers is also an exceptional football player Although listed as a center-forward, Sullivan has primarily played in midfield for the Philadelphia Union this season. But even further back on the pitch, the older Sullivan has been dangerous, scoring three goals and eight assists in 30 games across all competitions. While his brother Cavan is headed to Man City, Quinn is still available. But like the Aaronson brothers before them, it is only a matter of time for Quinn Sullivan to head to Europe, making the Sullivans the second set of brothers exported by the Union.

Jack McGlynn: Another Philadelphia Union prospect with European ambitions. McGlynn’s Irish passport should help with a move to Europe sooner rather than later. In fact, Bundesliga and teams from Belgium and the Netherlands already have the central midfielder on their radar, and a winter transfer wouldn’t be a surprise. McGlynn, a typical utility player in midfield, scored three goals and six assists in 31 games across all competitions this season.  

How Transfermarkt market values work

The Transfermarkt market values are calculated, taking into account various pricing models. A major factor is the Transfermarkt community, whose members discuss and evaluate player market values in detail. In general, the Transfermarkt market values are not to be equated with transfer fees. 

The goal is not to predict a price but an expected value of a player in a free market. Both individual transfer modalities and situational conditions are relevant in determining market values. Examples of this are listed below. Transfermarkt does not use an algorithm (you can find the detailed market value definition here).