Top 25 Transfers from 2014 Summer Window Aged 21 Years and Under
Welcome to Bleacher Report's top 25 permanent transfers from the 2014 summer window of footballers aged 21 years or younger.
Key word being permanent, so loans will not be included.
This list subjectively ranks the transfers on three points:
- Economic efficiency of the transfer.
- Transferred player's upside.
- The player's first impressions this season.
Honourable Mentions
- Britt Assombalonga, 21, Peterborough United to Nottingham Forest: €10.2/£8 million.
- Andrea Belotti, 20, AlbinoLeffe to Palermo: €5.5/£4.3 million.
- Alvaro Morata, 21, Real Madrid to Juventus: €20/£15.7 million.
- Jan Oblak, 21, Benfica to Atletico Madrid: €16/£12.6 million.
- Richairo Zivkovic, 18, Groningen to Ajax: €2.5/£2.1 million.
25. Luke Shaw
1 of 25
Southampton to Manchester United: €38.2/£30 million.
English left-back Luke Shaw, 19, had a solid game in United's 2-1 win over Everton, except for two moments.
- Moment One: he rashly impeded Everton right-back Tony Hibbert to concede a penalty.
- Moment Two: failed to track Everton central attacking midfielder Steven Naismith who scored a goal.
But the elite potential is there.
The reason why Shaw is ranked this low is that it's difficult to separate the inflated transfer fee from his age.
Also, there are red flags.
- Had no interest in Tony Adams—one of England's greatest-ever defenders—suggests Shaw subscribes to Benoit Assou-Ekotto's motto "I play for the money. Football's not my passion," per David Hytner at The Guardian.
- Fitness problems: showed up to United "not very fit" and is currently nursing a "dead knee."
24. Lazar Markovic
2 of 25
Benfica to Liverpool: €25.4/£20 million.
Serbian right attacking midfielder Lazar Markovic, 20, has made one of the most negative first impressions in recent memory.
He is jet-heeled, possesses magnet-like control and is a take-on specialist.
Yet Sunderland centre-back Santiago Vergini has completed more dribbles (8, 1.3 per game) than Markovic (4, 1.0 dribbles per game).
But Markovic has world-class potential, which explains the hefty £20 million investment.
23. Romelu Lukaku
3 of 25
Chelsea to Everton: €35.6/£28 million.
Belgian centre-forward Romelu Lukaku, 21, has the characteristics to become one of the best No. 9s of his generation.
He is a physical phenom (6'3", 207lbs), has been playing professional football since 2009 and already has more than 30 caps for the Belgian national team.
Sure, he may finish his Everton career with more than 100 goals for the Toffees.
However, right now he has been underwhelming for Everton this season: two goals from 21 shots in seven Premier League games.
22. Bryan Cristante
4 of 25
AC Milan to Benfica: €6/£4.7 million.
Italian central midfielder Bryan Cristante, 19, was one of Milan's best youth prospects, so it was inexplicable that the Rossoneri cut bait with him during their re-building phase.
Cristante is comfortable in possession and flashed box-to-box potential in glimpses at Milan.
He can develop into a cash-cow for Benfica.
He has, however, not asserted himself as a week-in, week-out starter yet.
21. Emre Can
5 of 25
Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool: €12.34/£9.75 million.
German central midfielder Emre Can, 20, has been unable to make an instant impact due to an ankle injury.
Can is physically impressive, technically excellent and can make incisive plays with his dribbling.
With his dynamism and skill, Can has the potential to develop into a complete midfielder under Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.
20. Tiemoue Bakayoko
6 of 25
Rennes to Monaco: €8/£6.3 million.
French central midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, 20, is the future of Monaco's midfield.
Instead of going for instant glory (Monaco no longer have superstar footballers), it will be about developing players.
Nine players 21 years or younger have already received playing time in Ligue 1 for Monaco this season.
Bakayoko will need to take a leading role going forward.
19. Calum Chambers
7 of 25
Southampton to Arsenal: €20.4/£16 million.
English utility player Calum Chambers, 19, has displayed how outstanding a passing outlet he is.
He completes 88.1 percent of his 51.4 passes per game, which reinforces why Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger sees Chambers as a midfielder.
However, he needs to be disciplined.
He is a rash tackler and leads the Premier League in yellow cards (five).
18. Marc-Oliver Kempf
8 of 25
Eintracht Frankfurt to Freiburg: €800,000/£629,000.
German centre-back Marc-Oliver Kempf, 19, is keeping former Benfica defender Stefan Mitrovic out of Freiburg's starting XI.
Freiburg sold Matthias Ginter to Borussia Dortmund for €10.2/£8 million and have spent a fraction of the fee on Kempf.
He is a big talent, but his defending is hot and cold, like Ginter.
According to Kempf's agent Mino Grillo, Europe's major clubs wanted his client.
"Juventus, who beat Inter and Borussia Dortmund for him [Kempf], were going to pay to get him on loan," Grillo said, per ITA Sport Press (h/t Eurosport). "But he rejected because he has the guarantee of playing more League games in Germany."
17. Sergio Rochet
9 of 25Danubio to AZ: Undisclosed.
Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, 21, is of prototypical size (6'3", 181lbs).
He has been a pleasant surprise filling in for Esteban Alvarado, but it would be fascinating to know more about Rochet.
There are no English sources on Rochet's rise, he was not a regular at Danubio and he was not a member of the Uruguayan squad at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup.
Talk about AZ's scouting department pulling a rabbit out of the hat because his early impressions are that of a top-flight goalkeeper.
16. Ricardo Horta
10 of 25
Vitoria Setubal to Malaga: €800,000/£629,000.
Portuguese right attacking midfielder Ricardo Horta, 20, has looked lively for Malaga.
He provides a spark alongside Luis Alberto, Nordin Amrabat and Samu Castillejo, who can all take on opposing players.
But Horta lacks the end product, failing to score or create a goal in his first six La Liga games.
15. Wendell
11 of 25
Gremio to Bayer Leverkusen: €6.5/£5.1 million.
Brazilian left-back Wendell, 21, is an oddball.
He plays as if he is a makeshift left-back because there is a substantial gap in quality between him creating scoring chances and trying to defend.
Wendell commits so many unnecessary fouls but has so far gotten away with it (0-11 in yellow cards-fouls committed).
Leverkusen have two young starters, Wendell and Tin Jedvaj (18-year-old Croatian on loan from Roma), who are better going forward than defending.
14. Kingsley Coman
12 of 25
Paris Saint-Germain to Juventus: Free Transfer.
French deep-lying forward Kingsley Coman, 18, was excellent against Chievo Verona.
Since then, he has played 12 minutes of Serie A, which is bizarre from Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Coman should be utilised as an impact sub rather than sitting on the bench.
13. Hakim Ziyech
13 of 25
Heerenveen to Twente: €3.5/£2.8 million.
Dutch deep-lying forward Hakim Ziyech, 21, will make Shadrach Eghan's task of getting back into the starting XI more difficult.
They play essentially the same role: free-roaming central position. Ziyech is skilful and forward-thinking.
He had a field day against AZ centre-back Wesley Hoedt during Twente's 2-2 draw.
12. Muamer Tankovic
14 of 25
Fulham to AZ: Free Transfer.
Swedish centre-forward/left-forward Muamer Tankovic, 19, is emulating former AZ centre-forward Mounir El Hamdaoui.
Like El Hamdaoui, Tankovic failed to make the grade in England but has become a star in the Netherlands.
Tankovic has scored three times and registered three assists in seven Eredivisie games for AZ.
11. Juan Iturbe
15 of 25
Hellas Verona to Roma: €22/£17.4 million.
Argentine right-forward Juan Iturbe, 21, was on course for a record-breaking game against CSKA Moscow when, 20 minutes into the game, he had scored and created two goals.
Six minutes later, he was subbed off due to a groin strain.
Consistency and fitness problems are the only barriers to Iturbe justifying his transfer fee.
10. Andrew Robertson
16 of 25
Dundee United to Hull City: €3.62/£2.85 million.
Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson, 20, is proof the Scottish Premiership can produce young stars who can slot into the Premier League as soon as possible.
"Two years ago, he [Robertson] was playing in the third division in Scotland," Hull City manager Steve Bruce said, per Sky Sports. "I have to be honest and say he's totally and utterly shocked me with his ability."
Right now, there is not a lot separating Robertson and Manchester United's €38.2/£30 million-valued Luke Shaw.
| League Only 14-15 | Andrew Robertson | Luke Shaw |
| Tackles Per Game | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Tackles Per Foul | 5.8 | 5 |
| Interceptions Per Game | 3.3 | 0 |
| Goals/Assists | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Dribbles Per Game | 0.7 | 1.0 |
The imperative two words being "right now."
9. Matthias Ginter
17 of 25
Freiburg to Borussia Dortmund: €10.2/£8 million.
German centre-back/central midfielder Matthias Ginter, 20, is a solid ball winner.
He has made nine tackles and intercepted seven passes in three Bundesliga games. His issue is off the ball when opposing players make runs behind him.
He has been playing in the Bundesliga since the 2011-12 season, yet he is still making the same mistakes.
Given his passing ability (64 passes per game, 86.5 pass completion percentage), he could be converted into a full-time midfielder.
8. Hakan Calhanoglu
18 of 25
Hamburg to Bayer Leverkusen: €14.5/£11.5 million.
Bayer Leverkusen central attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, 20, has been disappointing.
He's immensely gifted, can score from inside his own defensive half and make remarkable long passes.
But he has been turnover-prone. He gives away the ball 35.2 percent of the time he passes and is 1-20 in goals-shots taken in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen have the second-best attack in the Bundesliga, so can you imagine how deadly their attack will be when Calhanoglu regains his form?
7. Divock Origi
19 of 25
Lille to Liverpool: €12.7/£10 million.
Belgian centre-forward Divock Origi, 19, is turning out to be Liverpool's best permanent signing and he is not even at the club.
Loaned back to Lille, he has scored twice in his last three Ligue 1 games.
The more Mario Balotelli struggles, the smarter the Origi investment looks. He is the fall-back option if Balotelli flops at Liverpool.
6. Nemanja Radoja
20 of 25
Vojvodina to Celta Vigo: €900,000/£707,690.
Serbian central midfielder Nemanja Radoja, 21, has adjusted well to La Liga.
He has solid defensive positioning, is comfortable on the ball and provides a physical presence to Celta's midfield. It's 16 years since Celta signed Claude Makelele, whose performances garnered a major transfer to Real Madrid.
If Radoja continues to improve, he will be on the radar of big European clubs looking to bolster their midfield.
5. Luciano Vietto
21 of 25
Racing Club to Villarreal: €5.5/£4.3 million.
Argentine deep-lying forward Luciano Vietto, 20, is progressing quickly for Villarreal.
His brace in a 4-2 win over Rayo Vallecano and two assists in a 4-0 win over Apollon Limassol are positive signs.
He has yet to encounter the problems that Sergio Aguero did in his first year at Atletico Madrid, per Sid Lowe at The Guardian: "He ate too much meat, drank too much Coke and stayed up too late."
Vietto's lethal turn of pace and his vision will ensure Villarreal can sell him for a substantial profit in the next few seasons.
4. Juan Bernat
22 of 25
Valencia to Bayern Munich: €10/£7.9 million.
Spanish left-back Juan Bernat, 21, has been ruthlessly efficient.
Therefore, it was surprising to read that he said "it was a surprise for me to receive the call-up [to the Spanish national team]," per Aritz Gabilondo at AS.
Seven games into the Bundesliga season, Bernat has won back the ball 25 times while conceding one free kick.
The only surprise is Bayern signing Bernat for €10/£7.9 million, while Manchester United signed Luke Shaw for €38.2/£30 million.
| League Only 14-15 | Juan Bernat | Luke Shaw |
| Tackles Per Game | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Tackles Per Foul | 15 | 5 |
| Interceptions Per Game | 1.4 | 0 |
| Goals/Assists | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Dribbles Per Game | 1.7 | 1.0 |
3. Abdul Rahman Baba
23 of 25
Greuther Furth to Augsburg: €2.5/£2 million.
Ghanaian left-back Abdul Rahman Baba, 20, is a bit rough around the edges, but he could emulate Ricardo Rodriguez's rise for Wolfsburg.
While Baba is a tackling machine, he is not as reliable when it comes to tracking runners, and his 60.9 pass completion percentage is a red flag.
It would be embarrassing if he ended up being a better player than Manchester United's Luke Shaw.
| League Only 14-15 | Abdul Rahman Baba | Luke Shaw |
| Tackles Per Game | 5.6 | 2.5 |
| Tackles Per Foul | 5.6 | 5 |
| Interceptions Per Game | 3 | 0 |
| Goals/Assists | 0/2 | 0/0 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Dribbles Per Game | 1.7 | 1.0 |
2. Eric Dier
24 of 25
Sporting Lisbon to Tottenham Hotspur: €5/£4 million.
English centre-back Eric Dier, 20, took an unconventional route to the top having learned the game at Sporting Lisbon.
"It's all about possession and keeping hold of the ball [in Portugal]," Dier said, per Sky Sports. "I think it is great to come and play abroad. It makes you a more complete player in my opinion."
Growing up, he supported Manchester United, per David Hytner at The Guardian, so expect a substantial bid from United within the next four transfer windows.
1. Talisca
25 of 25
Bahia to Benfica: €4/£3.2 million.
The transfer stock of Brazilian deep-lying forward Talisca, 20, will sky-rocket, so it is another big transfer win from Benfica.
However, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho implied Benfica benefited from Talisca not having a work permit.
"They say Talisca is unknown, but he is only so unknown because he's only not playing in England," Mourinho said, per TVI24 (h/t Sean Gallagher at the Daily Mail). "He's only not playing in England because he doesn't have a work permit."
Talisca has scored six goals in seven games for Benfica.
Statistics via WhoScored
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