Gabriele Marcotti, a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com, discusses the strategy of securing young superstar players early in their careers to avoid high costs later on, using examples from recent transfers. He analyzes the top 25 most expensive U-21 transfers between 1999 and 2022, highlighting players like Kylian Mbappé, João Félix, and Christian Pulisic, and assessing whether they met expectations or were considered busts. The analysis focuses on player performance, transfer fees, and whether clubs benefitted from their investments in young talent.
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