Talles Magno, Caleb Wiley and Diego Luna - The most valuable U21 players in MLS
All eyes have been on Major League Soccer ever since Lionel Messi arrived at Inter Miami CF this summer. But the top league in the United States and in Canada is certainly more than just about 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. And following on from 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.
The most valuable U21 players in Major League Soccer
Talles Magno: Top of the list is a Brazilian playmaker whose market value has been a roller coaster ever since he joined New York City FC for €7.3m from Vasco Da Gama in May 2021. Once a promising talent in Brazil, Magno struggled at first in MLS, and his market value dropped to just €7m. But a strong 2022 season saw his market value increase to €15m. That market value, however, has been on the way down all the way to €10m once again after scoring just four goals and three assists in 34 games across all competitions. Talles Magno is certainly talented, but does he have the consistency to become a top player? Time will tell.
Alan Velasco: FC Dallas made Velasco the club’s record transfer when they signed him for just over €6m from Independiente in February 2022. At the time, Velasco was thought to head to Europe and had a market value of €12m. But the Argentine saw his market value drop to just €7m and is currently out with a cruciate ligament injury. Dallas hope that Velasco can soon improve on his 13 goals and seven assists in 64 games to improve his market value and hopefully be sold with a profit to Europe.
Stipe Biuk: The 2022 MLS Cup champions surprised insiders of Croatian football when they signed Biuk from Hajduk Split in January 2023. After all, the 20-year-old winger was considered one of Croatia’s brightest talents and on the verge of heading to a club in one of Europe’s top four leagues. Instead, LAFC won the race, signing the player for €6.5m, which is his current market value. But after scoring three goals and one assist in 35 games across all competitions, Biuk has yet to fully arrive in a league that isn’t always the easiest to transition to from Europe.
Caleb Wiley: The Atlanta United left-back comes in just behind Biuk at €5m. The 18-year-old burst onto the scene at the start of the season with three goals and two assists from the first four MLS games. The productivity slowed down a bit following his rocket-like ascent at the start of the season. But despite just one more goal and assist in the remaining 26 games, Wiley remained a consistent starter for Atlanta United and remains in the notebooks of several top European clubs.
Tomás Avilés: Inter Miami CF signed the 19-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 one goal and two assists in 11 MLS regular season games. 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.
MLS: Biggest winners after the update!
Facundo Farías: Falling into the same category as Avilés is his teammate Farías. Inter Miami CF signed the attacking midfielder for €5m from CA Colon in the wake of the Messi transfer. Farías has scored three goals and one assist in 11 MLS games since arriving in July. Like it is the case with Avilés the Inter Miami ownership around David Beckham hopes that Farías benefits from playing with the likes of Messi and Sergio Busquets to develop into a player that can be sold with a profit to a top European club.
Julián Fernández: The 19-year-old continues the long tradition of Argentines playing for New York City FC. Altogether, seven Argentines have worn the sky-blue jersey of the New York-based MLS franchise. 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 €4.4m from Vélez Sarsfield with the hope that he could develop in a similar vein as Castellanos.
Diego Luna: “Marco Reus was the player I watched the most as a kid,” Luna told Transfermarkt in an exclusive interview earlier this 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.” Based on this season, Luna is on the path to follow, scoring five goals and one assist in 23 MLS regular season games; the 20-year-old attacking midfielder scored two goals in three MLS Cup Playoff games.
Brian Gutiérrez: Although Chicago Fire have been mostly a disappointment on the field over the last few years, the club has been surprisingly good at developing and selling players to Europe. The two most recent examples are Durán (for €16.6m to Aston Villa) and Gabriel Slonina (for €9.1m to Chelsea). Many expect that Gutiérrez will be the next on that list. The 20-year-old playmaker has managed two goals and seven assists in 32 regular season games and, in November, signed a contract until 2028.
Cade Cowell: After a season in which he scored just one goal and three assists in 23 MLS regular season games for San Jose Earthquakes, the striker saw his market value drop by €1m from €5m to €4m. Cowell just never got going for a struggling Quakes side, and the three goals in four U20 World Cup games for the United States came against Fiji, New Zealand, and Slovakia. It almost feels like Cowell, who models his game after Kylian Mbappé needs a reset at a different club.
Messi at the top - The most valuable MLS players after the update
- Date of birth/Age:
- Jun 26, 2002 (21)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- New York City FC
- Contract until:
- Dec 31, 2026
- Position:
- Left Winger
- Market Value:
- €10.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- Dec 22, 2004 (19)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Atlanta United FC
- Contract until:
- Dec 31, 2025
- Position:
- Left-Back
- Market Value:
- €5.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- Sep 7, 2003 (20)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Real Salt Lake City
- Contract until:
- Dec 31, 2026
- Position:
- Left Midfield
- Market Value:
- €4.50m
- Date of birth/Age:
- Dec 26, 2002 (21)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Real Valladolid CF
- Contract until:
- Jun 30, 2024
- Position:
- Left Winger
- Market Value:
- €6.50m
New York City FC
Atlanta United FC
Real Salt Lake City
Los Angeles FC
Inter Miami CF
Chicago Fire FC
San Jose Earthquakes
