The most valuable U21 fixture of all-time – France U21 v England U21

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England U21 higher squad value than Belgium first-team 

©TM/IMAGO

Whilst England fans eagerly anticipate Thomas Tuchel’s first game in the dugout vs Albania at Wembley this Friday, there is also another tasty Three Lions fixture taking place in Lorient. A star-studded England U21 squad will play an extremely talented France U21 squad. Both nations boast a true plethora of young talent right now, and both squads include a number of players playing regularly in Europe’s top-five leagues. 

The squad values of the two nations, considering we are talking about U21 squads, are truly baffling. The France U21 squad boasts a market value of €420 million, whilst the England U21 squad is worth a whopping total of €556m. If we combine the two squad values we get a figure of €977m, which means, as illustrated in the graphic above, Friday’s fixture will mark the most valuable U21 tie between two nations in the history of the game. Never have two youth sides been richer in talent. So which young stars will be going head-to-head in this U21 bonanza?

Nwaneri, Ekitiké & Co – France & England U21s brimming with talent

There are as many as nine players worth €40m+ across the France U21 and England U21 squads. Something very unusual for non-first-team football. The most valuable of which is Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri. The 17 year old has enjoyed a breakthrough season and recently saw his market value to rise to €55m in the Premier League market value update. There’s then three stars worth €50m. Many expected Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite to be included in the senior squad but the €50m-valued star is with the U21 set-up this time around. Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens (€50m) and RB Leipzig centre-half Castello Lukeba (€50m) are also included with the U21s. 

Stuttgart’s French playmaker Enzo Millot is worth €42m and part of the France U21 squad, whilst there are then four €40m-valued stars across the two squads: Mathys Tel, Rico Lewis, Hugo Ekitiké, and Maghnes Akliouche. There are a further eight players worth €25m+ across the two squads, including Archie Gray (€35m), Liam Delap (€35m), Adam Wharton (€35m), Rayan Cherki (€30m), and Ayyoub Bouaddi (€25m).

England U21 squad more valuable than Belgium senior squad

Remarkably when we collate the most valuable national squads from this latest March international break and include these two U21 squads, they both rank in the top 15. England U21s (€556m) is actually as high as 11th and worth more than the first-team squads for Belgium (€522m), Norway (€480m), and Sweden (€458m). The young Three Lions are less than €100m short of being the same value as the senior Germany squad. There is a truly outstanding generation of young English talent right now.

France aren’t far behind. Their U21 squad (€420m) ranks 15th on the list and still beats the likes of World Cup semi-finalists Morocco (€391m), two-time World Cup winners Uruguay (€378m), and Turkey (€346m). To have two U21 sides this high up on a list of most valuable nations is very unusual and is a testament to the work being done in youth academies in both England and France. If the right decisions are made, the next decade could end up being very fruitful for both countries.